El Pedazo del Corazon
by Diva In The House
Summary: House/OFC. A woman from House's past shows up in Princeton. Can they forgive each other and find love again? Written for the Fox Friday Night O/C Challenge. Prompt: An Affair to Remember.
1. Chapter 1

**New story, same disclaimers and stuff apply. I don't own House, blah, blah blah. The title literally translates as "Piece Of My Heart". Enjoy.**

# # #

"House!" The sharp voice rang in House's ears just as he was about to exit the hospital. He turned with an exasperated sigh.

"For the last time, Doctor Cuddy..." House bellowed in response. "I will not have your baby!"

Cuddy pressed her lips together in a fine line as she crossed the lobby to meet House. "Did you forget about something today?"

House tilted his head thoughtfully as he leaned heavily on his cane. "Finished my case...avoided clinic duty...nope, can't say that I forgot anything."

Cuddy's lips quirked in a slight smile. "Your memory must be failing you. One of your former patients, his lawyer, and our lawyer are all eagerly awaiting your presence in my office."

House rolled his eyes and started to turn away. "And they can just keep on waiting."

House felt a tug on one of his backpack straps, and turned to see Cuddy still smirking at him. "I don't think so."

House huffed in mild irritation. If he went now, he could get this farce over with quickly and be happily parked in front of his TV with the remote in his hand within half an hour. He glared at Cuddy's hand, and the petite woman let go of the backpack.

"So, what heinous crime am I accused of this time? Curing the patient of some horrible disease that no other doctor could diagnose?" House intoned mockingly.

Cuddy said nothing as House followed her into her office and closed the door behind him. The hospital lawyer was making notes while two women chatted intently on the couch.

"Let's get this show on the road." House announced as he plopped down in the empty chair. "Got a monster truck rally waiting for me at home on the TiVo."

Cuddy shot House a withering look as she sat down behind her desk. She turned to the two women on the couch. "Please, go ahead."

The older and better dressed of the two women straightened up, tucking a strand of silver hair behind her ear. "My client does not speak English. I will gladly translate for her."

"Oh, this should be fun." House muttered, slumping down in the chair and thumping his cane between his legs.

"I suggest you keep your mouth shut for a change." The hospital's lawyer hissed at House. He gestured to the other lawyer to continue.

The other lawyer nodded, seeming to ignore House's comment. "Doctor Cuddy, my client is suing this hospital and Doctor House for wrongful death." She explained. "She asserts that had Doctor House and his team discovered his condition earlier, he would still be alive."

House groaned internally. If he had a nickel for every time a patient's family member said that, he'd be so rich he could retire from medicine.

"Did Doctor House ever speak to you or your husband?" The hospital's lawyer asked the woman.

The other lawyer quickly translated, and the woman responded in rapid fire Spanish. "She says no, only at the end, when her husband was dying. She only had contact with the other members of House's team.." She waited for her client to explain further. "A young woman and a blond man."

House snorted. That wasn't exactly what the woman said, if his understanding of Spanish was correct. "Now, now...Thirteen in no way resembles a female dog, and Chase...well, you might be right. He may very well be gay. Guess we'll have to drag in his ex-wife as a witness."

The other lawyer's eyes went wide at House's statement. "This is no joking matter, Doctor House. My client's life has been ruined due to your negligence."

"Negligence is kind of a strong word, don't you think?" House answered casually. "Perhaps if his wife had been more forthcoming about her husband's chronic condition, my team wouldn't have wasted precious hours on a wild goose chase."

The other lawyer frowned thoughtfully and turned to her client, conversing quietly. House caught a few key phrases, suppressing a smile. The lawyer delicately cleared her throat and addressed the hospital lawyer and Cuddy.

"My client would very much like to avoid the stress of a trial." She explained. "I'm sure that we can come to an acceptable out of court settlement."

House snorted derisively. The woman didn't have a leg to stand on and she knew it. No wonder she had told her lawyer to drop the whole thing.

He pushed himself to his feet, observing as the lawyers shook hands with each other and with Cuddy, then followed the small crowd out of the office and into the lobby.

The lawyer and her client were nearly to the exit when House caught up to them. "Maria Velasquez." He intoned, causing both women to jump. "You've been chasing that ambulance long enough. Don't you think it's time you caught the damn thing?"

The lawyer spoke quickly to the woman, sending her on her way before turning to face House. Even in heels, she barely reached his chest. That didn't stop her from narrowing her eyes and staring intently at him.

"Gregory House." Her voice carried the barest hint of an accent as she addressed House. "It has been a very long time." She tilted her head ever so slightly at him. "How long would you say, twenty-five years?"

"Something like that." House nodded, alternately amused and unnerved at the unexpected meeting.

Maria nodded in response, seeming to ponder the exchange. "Yes, twenty-five years have passed, and you still make me want to do this..."

She reached up and slapped House hard across the face, catching him completely off guard. _"Hijo de puta._" She hissed angrily before turning quickly on one heel and striding out of the building.

House ignored the titters and murmurs around him as he rubbed at his stinging cheek. The woman was as full of fire as she had been all those years ago. Even as he wondered what the hell Maria was doing _here_, in Princeton, a part of him wondered if that fiery personality still carried over into other areas of her life.

Suddenly, House hoped like hell that it did.

# # #

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	2. Chapter 2

**Back with another chapter. I don't own House, only Maria.**

# # #

Maria was still furious after the long walk back to the parking structure, ranting furiously in Spanish under her breath. Of all the people to run into, she hadn't expected to run into _him_.

Gregory House. Twenty-five years ago, he had shown up at the University of Michigan for med school, while she was in her last year of law school. They had run into each other at the bookstore at the start of the school year. Literally. She had been so focused on finding her textbooks that she had somehow missed the tall, gangly young man until her face met his chest.

When she looked up and met those brilliant blue eyes, she had nearly stopped breathing. He wasn't a traditionally handsome man, but there was something about him that attracted her.

That image had been ruined the minute House opened his mouth. Maria couldn't remember what he said, exactly. All she knew was that it was something rude.

At that time, she was quite fluent in English, having arrived from Mexico with her family in her late teens. She responded much quicker in Spanish, and let loose a flurry of curses that would have made her mother faint from shock.

House had barely responded at first. Finally a smile slowly crept across his smooth face. That's all it took to dissipate Maria's anger, and both of them had dissolved into laughter before going their separate ways.

They ran into each other again later that semester at some party hosted by a friend of hers. She was never quite sure how House had ended up there, but when he pulled her into a bedroom later that night, she didn't feel the need to ask any more questions.

And so had started something that had lasted well into the next semester, until she was called home upon her father's sudden death. She returned to school almost a month later, stopping by House's off campus apartment to explain her sudden disappearance.

Another woman had answered the door, followed by House's voice calling out, "Who's that?" Maria had been so angry that she had simply turned and run down the steps back to her car. She had known almost from the beginning that it was purely physical for him, but she was still appalled that he had apparently moved on so easily.

She threw herself into the remainder of her course work, making up what she had missed and graduating law school with honors, barely giving House a second thought.

That was until today, when he had strode into the Dean of Medicine's office, all six feet plus of him. He walked with a cane now, and his hair was gray, his face like a road map of the life he had lived.

Those blue eyes were still the same, and it had take all Maria had to maintain her professional composure as House plopped himself down into the chair and studied her. Once again, the image was ruined by his rude and sarcastic manner.

By the time she had left the office, she could feel her blood begin to boil. Suddenly it was 1985 all over again, all her memories of him rushing back to her. Oh, it had felt so good to unleash just a little of that rage on his rough face, to give him a little of the humiliation she had felt so long ago.

She was justified, Maria thought. But if she were justified, why did she feel guilty now instead of vindicated?

It didn't matter, she decided as she slid into her car and left the parking structure. Since her client had backed down and chosen to settle out of court, it was unlikely that she would see that arrogant _bastardo _again.

So why did she find her mind drifting back to him? Maria didn't have a good answer. She sighed as she pulled into her driveway and entered her house. Some things were better off left in the past. Gregory House was absolutely one of those things.

# # #

House's cheek was still stinging from Maria's slap as he swung his leg over the back of his motorcycle to head for home. His mind continued to work at the mystery of her sudden appearance, coupled with her surprise attack.

She had managed to pack a hell of a lot of rage into that one slap, but then, she had always had a quick temper. It was the first thing he remembered about her. She had bumped into him at the college bookstore, and instead of apologizing, she had cursed him out. In Spanish, no less.

House knew then that Maria Velasquez was a woman he wanted to get to know. She wasn't classically beautiful. As a matter of fact, she was almost mousy as she hid behind that stack of text books. The minute she spoke, House decided she wasn't as plain as she appeared.

It wasn't easy to track her down after that, but House had a puzzle on his hands, and he wasn't ready to let it go. She had popped up again at that party that House hadn't even planned on attending that night, and he had spent a good deal of the evening observing her from a distance.

In that setting, Maria was completely unguarded, clearly among friends. House had found himself drawn to her, and had finally managed to approach her. A couple of drinks and some conversation later, he had no trouble convincing her to join him in one of the upstairs bedrooms. No one had even noticed they were gone.

They had spent the next few months together. She expanded his knowledge of Spanish, taught him some dance steps, and introduced him to the finer points of her home cuisine. House wasn't sure what she saw in him, but she seemed to enjoy his company, both in and out of the bedroom.

Over those few months, he had started to fall for Maria in a big way. Not that he would ever let her know that. She was graduating from law school that spring, and the chances of them staying together after that were remote at best. It was better to enjoy the physical pleasure she brought him than open himself to potential heartbreak.

House hadn't thought much of it when he didn't see Maria for a few days. They were both busy, throwing themselves into their respective class work. When one week turned into two, then three, House figured things were over between them. He was hurt, but had little trouble finding other companionship to fill the void.

A month or so later, someone had knocked on House's apartment door. The girl he was seeing jumped up to answer, expecting her friend that was picking her up. He thought he had heard Maria's voice, but the girl had told him that whoever it was had the wrong apartment.

House was sure the girl was lying, but wasn't concerned enough about it to investigate further. In time, the memory of his time with Maria faded to the back of his mind. Occasionally something would trigger a memory, the way someone laughed, a slightly accented voice, a whiff of a familiar perfume.

Seeing her today had brought that time in House's life back in a rush. To say he was surprised to see her seated on that couch in Cuddy's office was an understatement. It had taken everything he had to not let it show.

Now that he knew she was in Princeton, both his memory and the mystery were alive and well. Clearly she was less than delighted to see him. His mission now was to find out why.

# # #

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	3. Chapter 3

**Back again with the usual disclaimers. Don't own House or Wilson, dang it all. :P**

# # #

House's mind was going over his new case later that week as he entered the building and limped heavily onto the elevator. His leg had awakened him again, and he had been unable to fall back asleep. As a result, his brain was so fuzzy that he didn't notice any of the other passengers in the car.

It wasn't until he heard a familiar voice ask for the fourth floor that he snapped to attention. Maria was suddenly standing beside him, her subtle floral scent wafting into House's nostrils as he glanced over at her.

What business could she possibly have on the fourth floor? There were no patient rooms there, only administrative offices. House turned the mystery over in his mind on the ride up to his floor, exiting when the doors opened at his floor.

He was halfway to his office when he realized that he was being followed. House stopped and turned on one heel, and Maria stopped just short of running into him.

House fixed her with a sharp glare, staring down at her upturned face. "First you slap me, then you stalk me? You are _mui loca, chica_."

Maria huffed, folding her arms over her abundant chest. "I'm too old to be called _chica_."

House studied her briefly, noting the fine lines that crossed her face and the silver that dominated her once dark brown hair. The waves still remained, the ends touching her shoulders. At least one of them had improved with age. It sure as hell hadn't been him.

He took a step forward so that he was toe to toe with Maria, their bodies almost touching. "I can think of a few other things to call you."

Maria's deep brown eyes narrowed, the skin around her eyes crinkling ever so slightly. "And I have more than a few names for you."

House leaned down, getting a stronger whiff of Maria's perfume. "Any of them _not_ an insult?"

A bare hint of a smile flashed across Maria's face. "I'll never tell. Now then, if you'll excuse me…I'm meeting someone."

She easily stepped around him and continued down the hallway. It appeared as if Maria was on her way to Wilson's office.

House started down the hallway, turning into his own office. Foreman immediately presented him with their patient's most recent test results. They didn't look promising, and House had to shove the question of Maria aside in favor of the medical puzzle that continued to unfold before him.

The team gathered in the conference room to continue the differential from the day before, kicking around more ideas. House settled on a theory and sent the team to start their tests before settling down in front of his computer.

He managed a few rounds of a puzzle game before he found his concentration lapsing. Funny how he had barely thought about Maria in all these years. Suddenly, House couldn't get her out of his mind.

He pushed himself out of his desk chair and headed down the hall to Wilson's office. It was nearing lunchtime anyway, and House was ready for Wilson to buy him lunch.

As he approached Wilson's office, he heard two voices lifted in laughter, and soon Maria walked out, followed by Wilson. Wilson was obviously charmed by Maria, if the look on his face was any indication.

She turned to give Wilson a brief hug and a kiss on his cheek before leaving him to stride down the hallway. As she passed House, she lifted her chin slightly, barely giving him a glance.

House watched her as she made her way to the elevator. She was a little heavier now than she was then, but still had the finest ass he had seen on a woman in a long time. He could have watched her all day long.

"Something you want?" Wilson's voice snapped House out of his daze.

"Lunch." House answered quickly, waiting until Maria stepped onto the elevator before starting down the hallway, Wilson not far behind.

The two men made their way to the cafeteria and got their lunches before settling down into a booth. House glared across the table at him.

"What?" Wilson gave him a baffled look. "If you want the fries, just take them."

"What was that all about?"

Wilson looked confused. "What are you talking about?"

House waved one hand around. "The…thing with the woman."

"You mean Maria?" Wilson broke into a slight smile. "I oversaw her husband's cancer treatment over the summer."

Wilson didn't say anything more, the unspoken part of that statement hanging between them. House simply nodded firmly. "When I was in the looney bin. It's okay, Wilson. You can say it." He gestured casually to the other man. "So…successful?"

"No." Wilson shook his head. "It was already in Stage Four by the time he was tested and started treatment. He died in early September."

"That doesn't explain why she's still coming to see _you_." House pointed out. "Unless you're offering more than a shoulder to cry on."

"We've become good friends." Wilson shrugged. "Nothing more." He arched an eyebrow at House. "Any reason you're asking?"

"Nope." House answered shortly as he pushed himself out of his chair, grabbing one more fry from Wilson's plate. "See you later. The Teen Titans should be calling me any minute."

House allowed the new information to sink into his brain. It explained what she was doing in Princeton, but it didn't explain how she had come to be here in the first place. Instead of bring him closer to solving the Maria puzzle, it seemed to make it more complicated.

House smiled a little to himself as he made his way back to his office. Complicated was what he thrived on. He was going to get down to the bottom of this, one way or another.

# # #

Maria contemplated her visit with Doctor Wilson as she drove back to her office. He was a kindhearted, gentle man, and though he hadn't been able to do much for her husband, Luis, he had been a constant source of support for her as her husband's condition worsened.

When he finally died back in September, Doctor Wilson had attended the funeral, and the two of them had become close friends, meeting for lunch and the occasional dinner. Maria couldn't lie, she found the younger man quite handsome and charming, but somehow it felt wrong to take their growing friendship to the next level.

Doctor Wilson seemed to feel the same way, and the two of them had developed an easy rapport, discovering more than a few common interests. She had stopped by to see him today while she was in the area, and he had alerted her to a possible opening in the hospital's legal department.

Maria debated the idea. She had been working for an area law firm ever since Luis had fallen ill late that spring, and the head partner had granted her the flexibility to take cases around his treatment schedule. Her heart had never been in the work, and when she had a chance to take on the _pro bono _wrongful death case, she knew that she had found her niche.

There was no guarantee that the hospital would hire her, of course, and she wasn't even sure she wanted to stay in Princeton. Her lease on the rented house would expire in May, and it was already March. If she wanted to, she could simply let the lease expire, give her notice, and move back to Michigan to be close to her children.

Her daughter would be thrilled, she knew. Anna and her husband were expecting their first child, and Maria was thrilled at the idea of becoming a grandmother. She was only sad that Luis hadn't lived long enough to experience that joy, and she hated the idea that she wouldn't be there for the birth.

It was a lot to think about, certainly, and she kept the idea in the back of her mind as she settled in at her desk and started her work. She didn't get very far before her office phone rang.

"Maria Ramirez."

"How do you know House?" Wilson immediately asked.

"Do you mean Greg?" Maria couldn't understand why Wilson was asking.

"He's the only House I know."

Maria sat back in her chair, debating how much to share with Wilson. "We both attended University of Michigan. Why do you ask?"

There was a brief pause. "He thinks we're sleeping together."

"What?!" Maria was incredulous. "What the hell would make him think that?"

Wilson chuckled on the other end. "Let's just say he has his reasons. Apparently I attract needy women."

Maria shook her head. "James, you know I appreciate everything you've done for me and Luis, but…I would hardly consider myself needy."

There was another pause before Wilson answered. "Believe me, Maria, you're anything but needy. You're one of the strongest women I know."

Maria blushed a little at the compliment. Wilson did have that way of making a woman feel very special. "_Gracias_, James."

"_De nada_, Maria." Wilson replied, an affectionate tone creeping into his voice before changing the subject. "So, are you still free for dinner tonight?"

"But of course." Maria smoothly followed Wilson's lead. "Are you still planning on cooking?"

"With your help." Wilson answered. "My _chiles relleno_ technique still leaves a lot to be desired."

"Do not worry, James." Maria laughed. "I'm sure it will still turn out _delicioso_."

Wilson laughed gently at the other end, and Maria couldn't help but smile at the sound. "Thanks for the vote of confidence. See you around seven?"

"Seven sounds good. _ Hasta pronto_, James."

She hung up the phone and sat back in her chair, a slight smile lighting her face. Dinner with a close friend sounded like the perfect way to spend an evening. The fact that Wilson was a young, handsome friend was simply a nice bonus.

# # #

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	4. Chapter 4

**Back with my usual disclaimers. Don't own anyone but Maria. :)**

# # #

Maria arrived at Wilson's condo a few minutes before seven that evening, and she could already smell the _chiles relleno_ through the door as she rang the doorbell.

"Who is it?" Wilson called through the door.

"_Se me_, James." Maria called back.

The door swung open, revealing Wilson, a wide grin lighting his face. "Come on in."

"_Gracias_." Maria entered the condo, squeezing Wilson's hands and pressing a light kiss to his cheek.

Wilson responded in kind before nodding his head toward the kitchen. "I was just getting ready to stuff and bread the peppers. That's the part I kind of need help with."

"I'm only too happy to assist." Maria washed her hands at the sink and joined Wilson at the center island to begin expertly stuffing peppers while Wilson prepared the breading.

The two of them chatted idly as the created an assembly line process, and Maria found herself enjoying Wilson's company immensely. Usually they went to restaurants when they got together, but Wilson had been experimenting with Mexican cooking, and wanted Maria's opinion.

They were laughing over a story about one of Wilson's pediatric patients when the door to the condo suddenly banged open. House strode through the living room and throughout the rest of the space as if he owned the place.

"What is _he_ doing here?!" Maria was appalled at the way House had entered without knocking.

Wilson let out a resigned sigh and wiped off his hands on a nearby towel. "He stayed with me for a while this fall. Don't worry, I'll handle him." In a louder voice Wilson called out, "House! What do you want?"

Maria could hear a distinctive step-thump as House entered the kitchen. "Just left a few…" He seemed to freeze upon seeing Maria. "_Ola, chica._"

"Greg." Maria nodded politely and continued stuffing peppers. She could feel House's eyes on her as he took up residence on the opposite side of the kitchen island.

"_Chiles relleno_." He spoke softly. "I remember the first time you made those for me."

Maria flashed him a quick, tight smile. She didn't want to remember any good times she had with House. He was a _pendejo_, a _cabron_, and Maria wanted nothing to do with him.

"House." Wilson spoke patiently, as if he were speaking to a child.

"It is fine, James." Maria told him. "I'm sure Greg was just leaving."

She fixed him with a hard look, and House's eyes seemed to shift between the two of them. Finally he nodded firmly. "Yeah, sure. Just going to grab a few things and get out of here."

House left the kitchen, making an extraordinary amount of noise gathering up whatever he was there for. He poked his head into the kitchen one more time. "Leaving now."

"Good night, House." Wilson answered. "See you at work."

House nodded, staring directly at Maria. "_Buenos noches_, Maria."

"_Adios_, Greg." Maria met his eyes with her own.

House's face seemed to fall a little before he recovered, nodding firmly as he turned to leave, slamming the door hard behind him.

Maria stuffed the last pepper angrily, almost throwing it into the egg wash, splashing a little of it on Wilson. Wilson let out a low chuckle at the action. "Whoa there. That pepper didn't do anything to you. What's wrong?"

"_Nada_." She spat as she turned toward the sink for a sponge, dampening it and returning to furiously scrub down the island, muttering a string of curses in Spanish.

She looked up to see Wilson smirking at her, barely suppressing a laugh. "Something tells me you knew House a little better than you let on."

"What do you mean?"

Wilson snorted and shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. "Because only House has the power to make anyone he's had a relationship with that angry."

"I am _not _angry." Maria told him firmly.

"The way you're abusing my scrub sponge tells me differently." Wilson replied, picking up the baking dish before Maria could knock it off the counter. After he put it in the oven, he stilled Maria's hand with his own, gently taking the sponge out of her hand. "I've got my _telenovela_ on TiVo. Why don't we watch an episode while dinner's cooking?"

Maria couldn't help but smile. The idea that Wilson was so addicted to those silly shows amused her. "I suppose."

The two of them settled on the couch in the living room, chatting through the program, Maria making fun of the overly dramatic acting while Wilson defended the storyline.

Soon the food was done, and they sat across from each other to enjoy their meal.

"You did an excellent job, James." Maria told him. "They are _perfecto_."

"Only because you helped." Wilson replied, making an odd face. "Oof, I think I got the one you threw around. It's as angry as you were." He tilted his head at her. "What did he do to you?"

"It is nothing." Maria told him, shaking her head. "It was a long time ago. I suppose I should just…let it go."

"If you want." Wilson shrugged. "But if you need to unload, I'm your guy. House can be…difficult sometimes."

"I appreciate that, James." Maria patted his hand. "You are a good friend to me."

Wilson smiled a little. "I do try."

Maria sighed a little internally. Wilson did have a very nice smile. It was turning out to be a very pleasant evening despite the interruption in the form of Hurricane House.

Finally the evening wound down, and Maria rose to leave. "I must go. I have a rather heavy workload tomorrow."

"Of course." Wilson rose to walk her to the door. "Oh, I remember what I wanted to ask you. The hospital's having a fundraiser this weekend. An '80s dance."

"An '80s dance?" Maria was a little puzzled.

"Yeah, you know…they play music from the 1980s, people dress up in clothes from that time period..." Wilson explained. "They had one at a medical conference I attended back in the fall. I think that's where Cuddy got the idea."

"Oh!" It was making sense to her now.

"I was wondering if…you'd like to go with me. As friends, of course, not as a date." Wilson looked oddly nervous.

Maria smiled widely. "I think that sounds like fun. I would love to go."

"Great." Wilson looked relieved. "So, I'll pick you up around eight o' clock on Saturday night?"

"I will be ready." She gave Wilson a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. "_Buenos noches_, James. Thank you for dinner."

"You're welcome." Wilson smiled warmly as he returned the hug. "I'll see you Saturday."

Maria thought things over for a moment. "Do you suppose Greg will go, too?"

"Only if Cuddy forces him." Wilson responded. "Somehow I think he'll find a way out of attending this one."

"Hmm…too bad." Maria smiled brightly. "Ah well. I will see you soon."

With that Maria left, an idea brewing in her mind. She would get her revenge on Greg, one way or another. She hoped Saturday night would provide her with that opportunity.

# # #

House brooded in his office later the next morning while he waited for test results. He'd had a sneaking suspicion that Maria would somehow show up at Wilson's. Call it intuition, or call it eavesdropping on his best friend's phone call earlier the previous day. Either way, his suspicion had proved correct.

Seeing Maria and Wilson chatting and laughing so easily with each other aggravated House to no end, although he would never let either one of them know that. If Wilson wanted to try to charm the hot and spicy Maria, let him. There was no way in hell Wilson would be able to keep up with her for long before Maria wore him out.

House smirked a little at the memory of that first night in the bedroom during that party. He might have started the encounter, but she finished it, and House, in spectacular fashion. Repeatedly. God, that had been one hell of a night.

He couldn't be entirely certain that Maria was still the same, but the spark that had flashed in her eyes during both their recent encounters told him that it was a distinct possibility.

Taub entered his office, passing a copy of their patient's test results to House. "ANA came back negative, and Cuddy asked me to pass a message on to you. Apparently your presence at the fundraiser this weekend is strongly requested unless you have a burning desire to do four extra clinic hours a week until you retire."

House rolled his eyes and snatched the test results out of the other doctor's hand, shoving his glasses on his face as he did so. "I'd rather do extra clinic duty that relive bad music and worse fashions."

A barely perceptible smirk crossed Taub's face. "Noted and filed. So autoimmune's off the table."

"Right you are, short one." House pushed himself out of his chair and handed the results back to Taub. "Back to the whiteboard."

The team spent a good hour throwing out theories and arguing back and forth. Finally House agreed with a theory Chase blurted out and sent the team off to test.

He sighed heavily as he leaned on his cane. The last time he had attended one of these 80's dance things, it hadn't gone so well. He couldn't imagine this one would go any better. If he wanted to watch people make fools of themselves, he could go to a bar on any given night and listen to karaoke.

However, the idea of extra clinic duty was just enough to make him at least consider going. Whether he would stick around would be a different story. He supposed there were worse ways of spending an evening. Watching his fellow doctors and other hospital employees trying to relive glory days that never existed could hold some entertainment value.

The conference door opened, and Wilson walked in, hands in his pants pockets. "Find what you were looking for last night?"

House fixed his friend with a sharp glare. "Yep."

Wilson nodded, pacing around the room. "Still not sleeping with her."

"Don't care."

Wilson snorted in amusement. "Your words say no, your laser sharp glare says otherwise." He smirked knowingly. "And by the way she nearly scrubbed a hole in my kitchen island…"

House let out an exasperated huff and turned back to the whiteboard, scribbling a few notes. "We had a thing a hundred years ago. She disappeared on me, I moved on, she's still pissed."

"Mm-_hm_."

"'Mm-hm _what_?"

"Oh, nothing." Wilson answered mildly. "Just…you know that fundraiser is this weekend, right?"

"_Yes_." House replied irritably. "Cuddy's already been on my ass to attend. Did it through Taub, which was sneaky of her but…"

"I asked Maria to come with me." Wilson interrupted.

House was surprised, and then not. "As your…_date_?"

"As a friend." Wilson quickly explained. "It's a…friend date."

Chase came bursting into the conference room before House could answer. "BP's 90 over 40 and dropping."

House nodded firmly and pushed past Wilson, turning toward him just before he left the room. "Hold that thought, Wilson. I'll be right back."

He left Wilson in the conference room and matched Chase stride for stride down the hallway. As they stepped onto the elevator, House innocently asked him, "So…you busy Saturday night?"

# # #

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	5. Chapter 5

**Another chapter, same disclaimers. Don't own any of the House folks.**

# # #

Maria gave her hair one final tease and sprayed it all over with Aqua Net, wrinkling her nose at the smell. She couldn't believe that she had once gone through at least a can a week of the hair spray in her younger days.

That was after she graduated from law school and went out into the world, where her wild curls were frowned upon as 'unprofessional'. Maria recalled trying a million different things to tame the mess, finally settling on the Aqua Net. Luis would tease her about her 'helmet hair', but it was effective.

She felt a small pang at the thought of her late husband, suddenly deeply missing him. He would have enjoyed this fundraiser, Maria knew.

A knock at the door snapped her out of her thoughts, and she quickly ran to answer. Wilson was there, dressed in a button down shirt, skinny tie, jeans, and a jacket with the sleeves pushed up.

Maria couldn't help but giggle a little at the sight. Wilson looked even more boyish than usual as he grinned almost shyly. "What do you think? Too much?"

"Of course not." Maria stepped aside to let him in. "You look just right."

"As do you." Wilson seemed to scan Maria from head to toe. "Those shoulder pads are the crowning touch. They give you that…power lawyer vibe. Very Claire Huxtable."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Maria asked him in a teasing tone as she lifted her purse over her shoulder.

"I hope so." Wilson answered as they left the house. "I always kind of had a little crush on her."

Maria felt a little flash of fear go through her, but recovered quickly. "Ah, so you have always had a…_thing_ for older women."

A bit of color crept into Wilson's cheeks. "I wouldn't call it a _thing_…"

Maria patted him on the arm. "Relax, James. I am only teasing."

They relaxed into more casual conversation on their way to the hospital, soon arriving at the parking structure and making their way into the building.

It was almost every 80's movie come to life, and Maria found herself amused by younger people dressed in clothes they must have dug out of their parents' closets.

"Do you want something to drink?" Wilson asked.

"Red wine, please."

Wilson nodded, lightly squeezing her shoulder as he disappeared into the crowd. Maria started to feel vaguely uncomfortable. The only person she really knew here was Wilson, unless…

"_Buenas tardes, senora._" A familiar rumbling baritone intoned beside her.

Maria cursed internally before turning to House with a brilliant smile. "Greg…I did not expect to see you here. I understand you do not usually come to the fundraisers."

"I wouldn't have…" House jerked a thumb at the young blond man next to him. "…if Pretty Boy here hadn't talked me into it." He leaned in a little closer to her, whispering loudly, "He can be quite the little charmer, if you know what I mean."

House turned and smacked the younger man soundly on the rear. "Hey, Chase, get me a beer."

Chase flashed a quick smile at House. "But of course, darling. Back in a bit."

Maria barely bit back a laugh as the younger man walked away. "So…you have a boyfriend now? I did not know you were…you know…that way."

House shrugged. "I'm not picky." He studied Maria for a moment. "I could have told him to bring you back something."

Maria started to respond when Wilson suddenly reappeared, a glass of wine in one hand and a beer in the other. Wilson's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "House? Didn't think you were coming."

"Chase insisted." House rolled his eyes. "That boy's crazy for Duran Duran."

The song over the loudspeaker changed to a slower song, and Wilson set down his beer on the table behind him, holding out his hand to Maria. "Care to dance?"

Maria glanced over at House, who was regarding her with a neutral expression. She then turned to Wilson. "I would love to, James."

They moved out to the middle of the dance floor, and Maria could almost feel House's eyes on her as she and Wilson swayed in time to the music. A small giggle escaped her, and Wilson looked down with a puzzled look. "What's so funny?"

"Greg." Maria told him. "He tried to tell me the young man with him was his date."

"Chase?!" Wilson was incredulous. "But House isn't…"

"I know." Maria answered simply. "I always know when he is lying."

"Really." Wilson's face changed from puzzled to interested.

"Yes."

"But why would he do that?"

"It is simple, James." Maria explained. "I am here with you, and it is driving him _loco_."

"I told him we were just friends…"

"And you think he believes you?" Maria laughed gently. "You are a naïve man."

Wilson sighed heavily. "So now what?"

Maria drew herself closer to Wilson. "Now…we dance. Let his imagination go wild."

Wilson let out a low chuckle. "I can work with that."

Maria smiled a little as she pressed her head against Wilson's chest. This was good. Not only did she get to spend time with a man that made her feel good, but she got to watch House pretend not to lose his mind over the situation.

This was going to be a fun night.

# # #

House let out a long sigh of frustration as he watched Wilson lead Maria out onto the dance floor, thumping his cane on the floor. Chase soon returned with their drinks, handing a beer to House.

"So?" Chase questioned him.

"She didn't buy it." House told him darkly.

"Oh." Chase sipped at his drink, gesturing out toward the dance floor. "She and Wilson seem to be getting on."

House fixed him with a sharp glare, and Chase immediately looked contrite. "Right. Think I'm going to mingle a bit."

"You do that." House snapped.

Chase eased away from House, and House soon spotted him run into Thirteen. The two began chatting amicably, both of them laughing at something Chase had said.

A little pang went through House as he watched them, and he scanned the rest of the room, settling on Maria and Wilson. They _did_ seem to get along, on much more than a friendly level. If Wilson wasn't doing her, he would be soon, of that House was sure. House didn't stand a chance.

He drained the remains of his beer and started toward the bar when the song changed again. Another damn slow song. Just what he _didn't_ want to hear, another damn reminder of just how alone he was.

The lyrics started to slowly sink in. _"Hey…if we can't solve any problems…then why do we lose so many tears…"_ The first time he had heard that song was shortly after Maria left. At the time, House did feel a little piece of him had been torn out, but he never would have dared express it. That just wasn't like him. Maybe if he had…no, she probably still would have left.

"Fuck it." He growled as he threw his beer bottle in a nearby trash can.

"If you want her…" An Australian accent spoke in nearly exasperated tones. "…then go after her. Quit being such a goddamn coward."

House debated with himself, even as he gave Chase a hard glare. "Don't you have a certain chronically ill bisexual to hit on?"

Chase shrugged and finished his drink, the implication clear.

House huffed and thumped his cane on the floor, throwing Chase one more glare before making his way to the dance floor, easily finding Wilson and Maria and nudging Wilson.

"Mind if I cut in?" House gave Wilson a narrow-eyed look.

"Not at all." Wilson released Maria, holding up his hands.

"Hold this." House shoved his cane into Wilson's hand and immediately turned his attention to Maria.

"I wondered when you would show up." She looked entirely too amused at the situation. "You were always a jealous man."

House didn't speak, simply looking down at her, letting the song's lyrics sink in. _"Every time you go away…you take a piece of me with you…"_

He let out a short sigh and pulled her closer, wrinkling his nose at the scent of her hairspray. House recalled how he had complained the few times she had tried to use it when they were together. He much preferred her soft waves, the way they tickled his skin as she leaned over him…

"This is rather nice, don't you think?" Maria's voice snapped House back to the present. "If only you hadn't taken up with that other girl…"

House pulled back slightly. "You dumped me. What the hell was I supposed to do?"

Maria pulled back as well, a dark expression crossing her face. "I did _not_ dump you."

"Right." House answered roughly. "That explains why you just disappeared."

"My father died!" Maria's flaring temper was obvious. "I couldn't contact you! _Dios mío, eres un idiota_!"

She pulled out of House's arms, leaving him alone on the dance floor. He stood for a moment, deep in thought.

"House." Wilson was beside him, holding out his cane. "What did you say to her this time?"

"Nothing." House growled.

He left Wilson behind, pushing through the crowd, searching for Maria. House soon spotted her just as she exited the building, and he quickly followed her, finding her just outside.

"You know, it's bad form to ditch your date." He told her, tapping his cane against the concrete.

"James is not my _date_." Maria huffed in exasperation.

"Maybe not tonight, but he wants to be. You can count on that."

"And so what if he does?" Maria challenged him. "Why does that matter to you?"

House moved closer until they were nearly touching, leaning over her. Finally he closed the distance between them, wrapping a hand around the back of her neck and pressing his lips to hers.

He wrapped his other arm around her, still clutching the cane in his hand as he pulled her closer, and he could feel her respond. She was tense at first before slowly relaxing into him, and suddenly House almost felt as if he was transported back in time, back to that first night, back before everything in his life had started to go to hell.

House reluctantly pulled away first. "That's why." He murmured, planting one more kiss on her forehead.

Maria regarded him with an unreadable expression before placing a hand on his rough cheek. "I should go. James will wonder where I am."

She turned and walked away, leaving House alone out in the cool evening air. He felt a brief pang of sadness before smiling a little to himself.

He had kissed her. More importantly, she had kissed back, and how.

The smile grew wider as he strode back into the building. If Wilson thought he had a chance in hell with Maria now, he was very much mistaken. The game was _on_.

# # #

**Back to you, dear readers. Keep those reviews coming!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Inserting my standard disclaimers here. Don't own House, dammit. Don't own Wilson, Cuddy, or Thirteen either.**

# # #

A month passed with no sign of Maria, and House couldn't help but wonder if he had somehow scared her off at the fundraiser. He wanted to ask Wilson about her, but the last thing he wanted to do was appear as if he were pining for her. Besides, if the way Maria and Wilson were acting at the fundraiser was any indication, things were more than friendly between them. As much as House wanted to push his way in, he had long since learned his lesson about interfering in Wilson's relationships. Better to just leave it alone and let Wilson knock himself out. Or let Maria knock Wilson out.

Thirteen entered his office with a CT scan of their most recent patient, handing it off to House. "There's a dark spot right behind his eye. Could be a tumor."

"Could be." House answered as he took the scan from Thirteen, shoving his glasses onto his face for a closer look. "Only one way to find out."

He pushed himself out of his chair and exited his office, Thirteen close behind as they made their way to the elevator, riding down to the main floor and making their way through the clinic to Cuddy's office.

House threw the door open and strode into Cuddy's office, ignoring whoever was sitting in the chair in front of her desk. "Need your approval to cut my patient's eye out."

Cuddy merely arched an eyebrow and regarded House coolly. "Can it wait?"

"You tell me." House handed the CT scan over the desk, and Cuddy studied it carefully.

"Has the patient been informed?"

"The patient's still unconscious." Thirteen piped up. "We've tried contacting her family, but we've hit dead ends every time."

Cuddy frowned thoughtfully before nodding her approval. "Do it."

House nodded firmly and took back the scan, turning on one heel to leave Cuddy's office. Thirteen trotted to catch up.

"That woman in Cuddy's office…She looked familiar." Thirteen commented.

House frowned. "What woman?"

"The one you practically shoved aside to talk to Cuddy." Thirteen looked vaguely amused. "I think she was Wilson's date at the fundraiser, but…I could be wrong."

House stopped in his tracks, shoving the scan into Thirteen's hands. "Go schedule the surgery. I'll be back."

He ignored the tiny smirk that flashed across the younger doctor's face as he returned to Cuddy's office. Cuddy and whoever she was talking to were just leaving, and House observed them from just outside the clinic.

The other person turned, and House froze. Sure enough, it was Maria. She proceeded to stride purposefully through the clinic, pushing open the door, and House had to step aside quickly to avoid getting hit.

"Long time no see, _senora_." House drawled to cover up his nerves. "Who's getting sued now?"

If Maria was surprised to see him, she didn't show it. "No one." She scanned House up and down. "I was discussing some recent cases with Doctor Cuddy."

House frowned in curiosity. "What the hell for?"

Maria smiled a little. "I have taken a position with the hospital's legal department. I start next week."

"Is that right…" House narrowed his eyes at her. "Guess I'll be seeing a lot more of you, then."

Maria let out a short laugh. "I suppose you will. Doctor Cuddy has warned me about you and your…unusual approach to medicine." She tilted her head at him. "I was not the least bit surprised, of course."

House's pager started going off at his hip, and he pulled it off his belt to check it. "Gotta go. Doctor stuff."

"Of course." Maria nodded firmly. "I will see you…soon, I suspect."

She turned to walk away, and House finally allowed the grin he had been suppressing to escape. If she was taking a job here, that meant she was most likely sticking around for the long haul.

He felt something like hope rise up in him as he quickly made his way to the elevator for the ride back to his office. It was silly, he knew, but part of him hoped he would find plenty of excuses to wind up in her office. Perhaps this had the potential to turn out better than it did with Stacy.

# # #

Maria let her amusement bubble over as she left House behind, making her way to her new assigned parking space. She had known that regular contact with him would be a distinct possibility when she took the position with the hospital's legal department, but from the sounds of it, the position sounded like just the sort of challenge she enjoyed.

It was an opportunity to create a new life for herself, a move that she knew she needed to make. Ever since she had moved here with Luis, a part of her had fallen in love with this college town. It was remarkably similar to Ann Arbor, and Maria didn't miss the connection.

As she returned to her office to collect the last of her belongings, Maria started making notes in her head. She would allow the lease on her house to expire. It was just her now, and she had no need for the large house. Wilson had suggested some apartments and condos in the area, including a couple that were available in his own complex. She couldn't help but wonder if Wilson had his own motivations for the suggestion.

After House had kissed her at the fundraiser, she had returned to the dance, tracking down Wilson. He had teased her about her smeared lipstick, but Maria had detected just a hint of jealousy behind it.

She had easily deflected, making a teasing remark before kissing Wilson on his cheek and continuing to enjoy the fundraiser. Wilson was quite the dancer, perhaps even better than House had been all those years ago.

Maria knew one thing for certain. Wilson's kisses were no match for House's. The kiss that House had planted on her outside the hospital had nearly brought her to her knees, bringing back all those old memories in a rush. She could have caved so easily to House, and that bothered her. No wonder she had rushed right back in to find Wilson.

Wilson seemed perfectly content with the direction their relationship started going after that. They hadn't gone as far as the bedroom yet, but things had started to become more than friendly.

Her phone rang just as she pulled into the law office parking lot. Maria smiled slightly when she saw the Caller ID. "_Ola_, James."

"_Ola_." Wilson's warm tone carried over the phone. "I understand congratulations are in order."

"_Si_." Maria affirmed as she walked into the office, nodding at the receptionist as she passed through. "I start next week."

"Fantastic." There was a brief pause. "We should celebrate. I'll cook something special tonight. What do you want?"

"James." Maria laughed at his enthusiasm. "You do not have to go to such trouble."

"I want to." Wilson insisted. "Now then, what would you like?"

"Why don't you pick something?" Maria asked him. "I'm sure whatever it is, I will enjoy it. You are an excellent cook."

"If you insist." Wilson replied. "See you at the usual time?"

"I shall be there. _Hasta luego_, James."

She closed her phone with a brief sigh. As much as she wanted to feel more for Wilson, there was still something lacking. He was far more interested in her than she was in him, that much was obvious.

He was still a good, kind man, and Maria was happy to spend time with him. It was better than rattling around that large house surrounded by memories of Luis.

Maria packed her personal effects in a file box, gathering up her case files to hand off to the head partner. She hadn't been here long enough to get too attached to anyone, but she had enjoyed working here. She took the pile of case files and knocked on her boss's door.

"Come in."

Maria opened the door, and her boss greeted her with a broad smile. "Maria, it's good to see you. Congrats on the new position."

"Thank you, Mister Laurence." Maria handed the pile to him. "I wanted to make sure you got these before I left."

"Thank you." He nodded as he rose from his desk, extending his hand after setting down the files. "I'm sorry to see you go. Princeton-Plainsboro is lucky to have you."

"I appreciate everything you have done for me." Maria answered, taking the hand he offered. "And thank you for the kind letter of recommendation."

"Of course, of course. Best of luck to you."

Maria nodded and left the office, picking up her box and stopping in the lobby to say her goodbyes to the receptionist.

"Senora Martinez, I cannot believe you are leaving." Gabriella stood and gave Maria a warm hug. "I will miss you so much."

"Ah, I will miss you as well." The young woman very much reminded Maria of her own daughter, and the two of them had quickly bonded. "You are continuing your studies, yes?"

"Yes, most definitely." Gabriella nodded. "You have inspired me."

"That is good." Maria laughed gently, patting her on the back. "You keep at it. I look forward to facing you in a courtroom one day."

Maria left the office, setting the box beside her in the passenger seat of her car. She lightly fingered the picture on top, a picture of Luis and herself at their daughter's wedding just two years before.

"What do you think, Luis? Hmm? Am I doing the right thing by staying here?"

The picture didn't have an answer, and Maria sighed as she started the car and left the parking lot. Suddenly she was less sure than she had been when she was chatting with Doctor Cuddy that afternoon.

She defiantly shook it off and continued on to Wilson's condo. Things would work out. They always did, somehow.

# # #

**This is where you give me all your kind reviews. :) Make it so.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Back again with all those fun disclaimers. :) Don't own 'em, wish I did.**

# # #

Wilson was putting the finishing touches on the salad he was making when he heard the knock on the door. He quickly wiped off his hands and trotted to answer.

He opened the door to reveal a casually dressed Maria. She cut a lovely figure in jeans, a burgundy knit v-neck top, and pointy-toed shoes with a slight heel to them.

"Come on in." Wilson greeted her with a hug and a quick kiss. "You look lovely."

Maria flashed him a bright smile, her skin crinkling ever so slightly around her eyes. "You always say that, James."

"That's because it's always true." Wilson responded with a smile of his own.

She merely shook her head and followed Wilson into the kitchen. "What is for dinner? It smells _fantastico_."

"Chicken Marsala." Wilson answered, dipping a spoon into the sauce. "Here, taste."

Maria took the spoon into her mouth, a little smile curving over her face as she closed her eyes. "That is wonderful, James. Where ever did you learn to cook like that?"

Wilson shrugged casually, even as he was pleased by Maria's reaction. "Here and there. I pick up recipes from books, websites…even been known to take the occasional cooking class."

"You do well." Maria nodded, looking around the kitchen. "Do you have a…" She gestured as if she were opening a wine bottle.

"Corkscrew?" Wilson prompted. "Right here."

"_Gracias_." Maria took the offered device with a slightly embarrassed look. "You would think after being here for so long I would remember the right words for things."

"It's okay." Wilson told her as he pulled the garlic bread out of the oven. "My brain fails me sometimes, too."

"And you are a young man." Maria laughed as she uncorked the bottle.

"You say that like you're so old." Wilson teased her while he found wine glasses, plates, and silverware.

"Much older than you, _mi joven amigo_."

_Amigo_. Wilson sighed internally. Maria often called him that, even as they often crossed over that line. Not far over that line, but far enough that he felt he was more than a friend. Maybe House was right. Maybe he was starting to fall into his familiar patterns of comforting a woman through physical means.

Maria tilted her head at him. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, no." Wilson shook his head. "Let's eat."

They sat across from each other at the dining room table, making idle conversation as they ate. After dinner, Wilson jumped up and cleared the table.

"I made something kind of special for dessert." He told Maria, delighting to the curious expression on her face. "Be right back."

Wilson set the dishes in the sink and loaded a tray with the tiramisu he had put together the night before, along with a pair of plates, forks, two glasses, and a bottle of Asti Spumante.

Maria's face lit up when Wilson entered the room. "James, you went to so much trouble!"

"You're worth it." Wilson smiled, internally sighing in relief as he set down the tray.

He uncorked the sparkling wine while Maria served up the tiramisu. After Wilson poured for both of them, Maria regarded him with a thoughtful look. "To what should we toast?"

Wilson pondered the question. He knew what he _wanted_ to toast to, but he wasn't sure he wanted to put himself out there. Instead he held up his glass with a warm smile. "How about…new beginnings."

Maria's smile was equally warm as she clinked glasses with Wilson and took a long drink. "Yes, to new beginnings…and new friends."

Friends. There was that word again. Wilson nodded, hoping his disappointment didn't show. "To new friends."

They spent another hour or so talking and laughing over dessert, and Maria finally rose to clear the table. "Would you like help cleaning up?"

"That's very kind of you, but…it's late." Wilson told her. "We should call it a night."

"Of course."

Wilson followed Maria to the door, and she turned to give him a hug. He wrapped his arms around her in return, dropping a kiss on top of her head.

Maria sighed in his grasp. "Thank you for dinner. It was wonderful."

"Thank you for coming." Wilson answered, reluctant to let her go. "It's always good to see you. Kind of hope to see more of you now that we'll be working at the same place."

"That would be nice." Maria pulled back with a smile. "Perhaps we could keep our little lunch dates."

"I'd like that." Wilson smiled back down at her. He lifted his chin with one finger, looking down into her deep brown eyes before leaning down to brush a light kiss to her lips.

Her eyelids fluttered closed, and Wilson heard a soft sigh escape her. She opened her eyes as he broke contact, placing a hand on his cheek. "_Buenos noches_, James."

"Good night."

She slipped away from him and left the condo, gently closing the door behind her. Wilson let out a long breath and turned to clean up the dining room and kitchen.

He suddenly felt conflicted about Maria, almost wishing he hadn't suggested the position at the hospital. Sure, he would see more of her, but so would House. Wilson already knew that House and Maria had some sort of history. Whether Wilson could compete with that history was another matter. He wasn't entirely sure he could.

# # #

Wilson opened the door to his office the next morning to see House sitting on his couch, his legs stretched out in front of him, tapping his cane between his legs.

"What do you want?" Wilson asked in a resigned tone.

"She took a position in the legal department." House calmly told him. "I wonder how she knew there was an opening."

Wilson rolled his eyes. He was in no mood for House's shenanigans today. "Yes, House, I told her about it after one of our nights of wild passion. Happy?"

House narrowed his eyes. "You're lying."

"And if I am?" Wilson sat down at his desk, flipping through his appointment book. "You should be happy. The two of you will be able to pick up your war right where you left off."

There was a long silence before House blew out a long sigh. "I kissed her. At the fundraiser, you know."

"I know." Wilson answered patiently. He hadn't known, but he'd suspected _something_ had happened when Maria returned with smeared lipstick.

"She kissed me back." House pushed on.

"I'm sure she did." Wilson responded, feeling his patience wearing down.

House shook his head and pushed himself from the couch. "So I can mack on your girlfriend and it doesn't bother you. I'll have to remember that."

"She's not my girlfriend!" Wilson shouted as House slammed the door behind him.

The door flew open, and House stuck his head just inside. "But you wish she was."

Wilson pointed at the door. "Out."

House smirked and shut the door again, leaving Wilson alone with his thoughts. He hated that House was so goddamn observant. Either that, or Wilson was remarkably transparent. He wasn't sure which.

It didn't matter, Wilson decided as he settled into his work. To House, Maria was merely a puzzle, and Wilson's relationship with her was part of that puzzle. Wilson couldn't imagine it could be more than that, not after so many years.

Wilson had started to put the pieces together himself. House and Maria had some sort of relationship years ago, something that was beyond a mere fling for both of them. Somehow, seeing each other had triggered long buried emotions.

Quite the miracle, then, that both House and Maria were available. That didn't mean they would fall right back into each other's arms, despite House's efforts at the fundraiser.

Wilson snorted and shook his head at the memory. Bringing Chase as his 'date'? Really? What the hell did House hope to accomplish with that move? It was twisted, even by Housian standards.

There was a tap on Wilson's door, and he called out for whoever was knocking to enter. It was his first appointment of the day, a consult to supervise treatment plans for one of his patients. The question of Maria and House was left far behind as he focused on the discussion at hand. There would be time enough to deal with that later.

# # #

House sat in his office after his conversation with Wilson, tossing his ball up and down in the air, letting things process in his mind.

So Wilson had alerted Maria to the opening in the legal department. Interesting. House couldn't help but wonder what Wilson's true motivation was for that little move. Obviously Wilson was feeling a little more than friendship for the woman, not that House could blame him.

Maria's reappearance was triggering a variety of emotions in House, as well. More and more, House found himself wondering what would have happened if things had gone just a little differently between them.

House shook his head and caught the ball, setting it on his desk to go over the chart on his desk. It didn't matter anymore. The past was the past, and there was no point in rehashing things. It wasn't as if House would be able to win Maria back with one stupid kiss.

He smiled a little at the memory. She _had_ kissed back, so it wasn't as if she felt _nothing_ for him. Even if it was only physical…hell, he'd be okay with that. Nothing wrong with a little trip down memory lane that ended up in the bedroom.

He finished making his notes on the chart, signing off on it and pushing himself out of his chair to take it down to Cuddy. After dropping it on Cuddy's desk, he decided to take a little detour to the legal department.

House was only a little surprised to find Maria's office, the nameplate already on the door and _tejano_ music spilling out into the hallway.

"I can't believe you still listen to that crap." He announced as he opened the door and limped in, startling her.

She recovered quickly, turning down the music as she continued to unpack a box of personal effects. "Greg. I would say it is a pleasure to see you, but…"

House rolled his eyes and thumped his cane on the floor. "Look, let's just cut to the chase here. You and Wilson have a thing going. I'm not going to get in your way, okay?"

Maria narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "And you came all the way down here to tell me that?"

"Yep." House affirmed. "You don't have to worry about me harassing you. We're both adults. No reason why we can't keep things strictly professional, right?"

"Right." Maria still looked skeptical as she pulled out a photo frame and set it on her desk.

House glanced at the photo. Both Maria and the man wore happy smiles, as she leaned into him, his arm wrapped around her in obvious affection. "That your husband?"

"_Si_." Maria answered, picking it up again and smoothing her hand over the frame. "We were married for twenty-three years."

House nodded. "Obviously you had no problem moving on, either."

Maria's facial expression changed ever so slightly. "He was a good man, and a good father to our children. I loved him very much."

"So why stay pissed at me?" House moved further into the office, standing directly in front of her desk.

"I did not stay _pissed _at you, Greg." Maria argued. "When I saw you, it just…brought back all those feelings. That is all." She met his bright blue eyes with her deep brown ones. "I apologize for slapping you. That was…_probably_ uncalled for."

"Damn right it was." House snapped. "I'm not the one who disappeared without a trace."

Maria's eyes dropped, and House thought he saw something shining there. "I did not think you would care one way or the other. You never expressed…anything."

Whatever anger House had started to feel immediately dissipated, leaving behind a sort of lingering sadness. "Guess we both sort of fucked up, huh?"

Maria took a deep breath and set the picture frame on her desk, seeming to regain her composure. "It does not matter now. As you say, we will keep things…professional between us." She met his eyes again. "I am glad we had this talk. It is good to clear up…misunderstandings."

"You bet." House gestured toward the door with his cane. "I guess…I'll go. You know, let you get settled before you have to start dealing with all this legal stuff."

"Right." Maria graced him with a slight smile. "I am sure we will see each other again soon."

House left, closing the office door behind him, and he could hear the music start up again. He stared at the door for a long moment, trying to sort out the conflicting emotions that rose up in him.

Maria's apology and explanation for her behavior put a new spin on things. Suddenly the last thing House wanted was to keep things on a professional level. If they could clear up one misunderstanding, who's to say they couldn't clear up a few more?

# # #

**Back to you, dear readers. Read and review. :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**You know the drill. I don't own them, I'm just having fun with them. :)**

# # #

Maria spent the next few weeks working with the other members of the legal team to bring herself up to speed on things. As a result, she found herself with very little time outside of her job for much of anything, and even her lunches with Wilson had fallen by the wayside.

She was not the least bit surprised to find that after the OB/GYN department, House's department had the most legal actions filed against it, due to the unconventional nature of the cases that found their way there.

Her office phone rang just as she started in on the lunch she had brought with her. "Maria Martinez."

"Hey, stranger." Wilson's warm voice came through. "Thought I'd see if you were free for lunch."

Maria sighed. "I am…very busy. You are welcome to visit in my office."

"I might just do that." Wilson answered. "Would you like something?"

"An iced tea would be very good." Maria replied.

"Great." Wilson responded enthusiastically. "I'll see you in a few."

There was a knock on her door a few minutes later, and Maria invited the person in. It wasn't Wilson.

"Greg?" Maria gave him a questioning look. "What brings you here?"

House shrugged. "Need some legal advice."

Maria was amused by the idea. "Somehow I do not think that is the case."

House pressed his lips together, thumping his cane on the floor, his eyes everywhere but on Maria. He started to open his mouth when Wilson suddenly appeared, carrying a bag and a tray containing two Styrofoam cups.

House's expression suddenly turned dark. "Never mind. You're _obviously_ busy."

He turned and stalked out of the office, and Maria sighed heavily, giving Wilson an apologetic look. "I shall return."

She quickly trotted out of the office, easily catching up to House within a few steps. "There is no point in trying to run away from me. I can keep up with you now."

House stopped and turned around, fixing Maria with a hard look. He shook his head and snorted derisively, starting to turn away again.

"_Espera un minuto, por favor._" Maria reached out to grab House's arm, her fingers curving around the muscle underneath. "I think we have another one of those…misunderstandings."

"There's no misunderstanding, Maria." House snapped softly. "I'm not an idiot."

"_Greg_." Maria didn't know why it was so important to make this point. "James and I are friends. Close friends. That is all."

"Does he know that?" House studied Maria intently.

"Of course." Maria answered, even as she wasn't entirely sure.

"Huh." House looked thoughtful for a moment, then shook his head. "You might want to remind him…if you _don't _want to be more than friends with him." He glanced down at the hand on his arm. "If you don't mind…"

"Right." Maria released House's arm, and the man slowly limped down the hallway toward the elevator.

She suddenly felt a pang of something she couldn't quite identify. The man acted almost heartbroken, but she couldn't imagine why. Maria thought they had clarified things the last time they spoke.

There was no misunderstanding, was there? Maria suddenly wasn't so sure anymore.

She returned to her office, where Wilson had settled in with his lunch. Maria's iced tea sat near her lunch on her desk.

She could feel the younger man's eyes on her as she sat down at her desk. "Something is on your mind. You might as well tell me now."

Wilson shrugged and continued to eat. "Something going on between you and House?"

"No." Maria let out a tiny laugh. "Why would you think that?"

"Don't know." Wilson answered. "Seems like every time you two are in the same room there's this…_tension_."

Maria snorted. "Don't be silly, James. It has been many, many years since we have felt anything for each other. Don't look for something that is not there."

A slow smile crept across Wilson's face, mixed with a bit of sadness. "Oh, it's there, at least on his end."

Maria sighed and stuck a straw in her iced tea. "If you were me, what would you do?"

Wilson shook his head and laughed. "Trust me, I'm the wrong guy to ask."

"And why is that?"

"Because…I'm not exactly impartial." Wilson took a deep breath. "House is my best friend, and you're…a good friend of mine. If it were up to me…" He held out his hands in an expansive gesture.

Maria's heart stopped for a moment. Was Wilson saying what she thought he was saying?

Before she could ask, Wilson continued. "This is something you two have to work out for yourselves. I…" He shrugged, then picked up his lunch. "I'll see you later."

He closed the door behind him, and Maria let out a hard sigh. She reached out and picked up the picture of Luis. "Why do you all have to be so difficult? It would have been much easier if you had been able to stay here."

The picture had nothing to say on the matter, and Maria shoved her thoughts aside to get back to her working lunch. This, she decided, was much easier to deal with than the men that had inserted themselves into her life.

# # #

House cursed himself all the way back to his office. He'd been _that_ close to asking Maria out, just to see what she would say. And he would have managed to spit it out, too, if that damned Wilson hadn't shown up.

He huffed irritably and pushed through the conference room door for a cup of coffee. A million thoughts ran through his head as he stirred in sugar and took a brief sip.

The more he thought about it, the more he had to concede that Wilson was probably the better man for Maria right now. He could provide the kindness and support that House had never been able to provide. Obviously Maria thought that House wasn't capable all those years ago. House couldn't imagine he would be any better now.

He limped back into his office and sat heavily behind his desk, picking a chart out of the ever-growing pile and flipping it open. It was mindless work, and normally he would have preferred to shove it off on one of his minions. Too bad none of them were around at the moment.

The sound of his office door opening caught House's attention, and Maria entered, a Styrofoam takeout container in her hand and a slight smile on her face.

House sat back in his chair and took off his glasses. "What's in the box?"

"A peace offering." Maria answered, handing him the container. "In the form of a dry Reuben. No pickles."

House narrowed his eyes. "Wilson set you up."

"I assure you that he had nothing to do with this." Maria told him firmly.

"In that case…thanks." House opened the container and dug into the sandwich, but he couldn't help but feel someone's eyes on him. He glanced up to see Maria still standing there, a neutral expression on her face. "What?"

"You wanted to tell me something earlier."

House shook his head. "It's nothing. Forget it."

Maria folded her arms over her chest. "You are lying again. Just as you lied about bringing that…boy as your date."

"Hey, Chase is all grown up now." House responded, crumpling his napkin and throwing it basketball-style into his wastebasket. "Got his M.D. and everything."

Maria laughed softly and shook her head. "Are you sure?"

"About what?"

"_Greg_." Maria let out a slightly exasperated sound. "Do not…" She waved a hand around as if she were trying to find a word. "…what is it, when you want to avoid talking about something?"

"I'm not avoiding anything." House replied with a calm he didn't feel. "I just didn't have anything important to say."

Maria unfolded her arms and pressed her hands on to House's desk, her chocolate brown eyes boring into him. "I find that _very _hard to believe."

House's heart started thumping in his chest. It had been so long since he'd tried to ask a woman out that he wasn't sure he knew how anymore. He damn sure didn't want to screw things up with Maria again. Twenty five years of misunderstandings was enough.

He looked away, collecting his thoughts. Finally he took a deep breath and rose from his desk chair, rounding the desk to lean against it, bracing his hands against the surface, finally daring to look her in the eyes.

"Are you sure there's nothing going on between you and Wilson?" House asked, even as he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.

"I am sure." Maria affirmed, turning to lean against the desk, arms folded over her chest. "But that is not what you started to say earlier."

House blew out a long sigh, suddenly finding an incredibly fascinating spot on the carpet. "How the hell do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"You can spot a lie at ten paces." House grumbled. "You're worse than my mother."

Maria laughed, breaking the tension in the room. "It is, as they say, a gift."

House couldn't help but chuckle at Maria's confident tone. He was still reticent about asking her out, but not nearly as much as he had been before she walked in.

He shifted slightly and offered Maria his hand, and she slowly took it, her hand small and soft in his slightly rough one. "I…kind of have a peace offering of my own. Dinner…my place…sometime tonight. You pick the time, I'll cook."

Maria's eyebrows shot up. "You cook now?"

"Yeah." House shrugged casually. "Took some lessons back in the fall when I was staying with Wilson. Saved his balls once."

She gave him a baffled expression, and he shook his head. "Never mind. Long story. So, what do you say?"

"I say…" Maria looked thoughtful before turning her head and tilting her chin to look up at House. "Seven o'clock. And I shall bring dessert."

House quickly reached behind him for pen and paper, scribbling down his address and phone number. Maria took the paper and tucked it in her skirt pocket with a smile before pushing herself up on tiptoe to plant a kiss on House's scruffy cheek. "_Hasta luego_, Greg."

"Yeah, see you later." House murmured in response, rubbing the spot as he watched her leave his office.

After a long moment, he snapped himself out of his daze, allowing a slow smile to creep across his face. He'd finally managed to find his _cojones_, and it had paid off. House just hoped he could manage not to screw things up this time around.

# # #

**I turn it over to you, dear readers. Read and review.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Nope, still don't own House. Maria is all mine. **

# # #

Maria arrived at House's apartment building shortly before seven o'clock that evening, pulling in behind a motorcycle. She took a deep breath to settle her nerves and made her way up the couple of steps to the main apartment door.

She entered the building and easily found the apartment door, gently tapping on the door.

"It's open!" House's voice boomed out. When Maria opened the door, she could hear crashing guitars and screaming voices coming from the direction of the kitchen.

She crossed the living room, taking in the guitars lining the wall and the baby grand piano that took up a significant amount of space in the living room. His love for music hadn't changed, that much was clear.

"_Ola_." Maria called out as she entered the kitchen, and House's head jerked up from whatever he was working on at the center island, quickly reaching out to turn down the music.

"_Que pasa, chica_?" He asked, obviously trying for casual and failing.

"_No mucho_." Maria nodded toward the island. "What are you making?"

"Individual pizzas." House told her as he shaped the dough with his elegant hands. "Pick your toppings."

"Hmm…there are so many." Maria considered her options. "Are you sure this is just for the two of us?"

She could have sworn she spotted a hint of color rise in House's cheeks. "Couldn't remember what you liked, so…" He huffed slightly. "Guess I went a little overboard."

"It's fine." Maria assured him, taking the dough circle he presented, spreading it with a chunky marinara sauce before topping it with mushrooms, zucchini, artichoke hearts, and roasted red peppers. She pointed at one of the bowls of shredded cheese. "What is that?"

"Smoked mozzarella."

She took a handful and sprinkled it over her pizza, gesturing toward another bowl. "Parmesan?"

"_Parmigiano Reggiano_." House told her with an Italian flair.

Maria smiled broadly and sprinkled a small handful over the pizza before pushing it back toward House. "There, done."

House scowled. "No meat?"

Maria shook her head. "Not this time. I like a bit of variety."

House snorted and prepared his own pizza, loading it up with three different meats, onions, green peppers, smoked mozzarella, and the Parmigiano Reggiano. He carefully placed both pizzas on a baking sheet and limped over to the oven, opening the door and sliding them expertly onto the stone that was heating there.

He rose to his full height after closing the oven door, wiping his hands on a towel that was tucked in the back pocket of his jeans before crossing to the refrigerator. "Beer?"

"Depends on what kind."

"Dos Equis Dark."

Maria smiled at the memory. "You remembered."

House shrugged, a ghost of a smile crossing his rough face. "I always remember a good beer…especially when I shared it with…" He shook his head, the smile disappearing almost as quickly as it appeared. "Never mind."

A long silence followed as House popped the tops on both beers and handed one to Maria. "_Gracias_." She murmured softly as she accepted the bottle and took a long drink. "The pizzas smell good." She offered.

"Yeah, thanks." House mumbled, turning back to the oven. "Should be ready in a few."

The kitchen was quiet save for the music that continued to play in the background, and Maria observed as House moved around the kitchen, returning to the island with a box of zip-top bags.

"May I help?" Maria offered. House nodded mutely, and the two of them began bagging up the pizza ingredients.

House seemed to avoid Maria's eyes as they cleaned up, and she tilted her head at him. He merely took the zip-top bags with a firm nod and put them away before turning back to the oven to check on the pizzas.

The glorious smells filled the room as House quickly moved them from the baking stone to a pair of waiting plates and cut each pizza into quarters. "Food's on." He spoke quietly.

Maria crossed the kitchen to take her plate. "Do you have ketchup?"

House looked vaguely amused, even as he rolled his eyes. "In the door of the fridge. I can't believe you still insist on ruining a good pizza that way."

"It is a Mexican thing." Maria laughed as she squirted a pool of ketchup in the center of her plate. "I do not expect you to understand."

House shook his head and gestured toward the living room. "The coffee table kind of does double duty as a dining room table. It's a bachelor thing. Sorry."

"No need to apologize." Maria answered as she took her plate and beer into the living room, settling in on the leather couch. "It's a lovely place. Very you. How long have you lived here?"

"A long damned time." House answered as he set down his own plate and beer, easing himself onto the couch with a slight wince. "Kind of settled in and never left." He took a bite of his pizza and gestured toward Maria. "What about you? How does a Mexican by way of Michigan end up in Jersey?"

"It is…a long story." Maria answered before biting into a slice of the pizza. The crust was perfect, crispy without being hard, and the marinara sauce burst with flavor. "_Ai_, that is _excelente_. It almost does not need the ketchup."

"Almost?" House scowled at her. "I made the crust and sauce from scratch, you know. Seems you could appreciate the effort a little."

Maria dutifully took a bite of the pizza without dipping it in the ketchup. She hated to admit it, but House was right. The flavors of the sauce, cheese, and vegetables mingled together perfectly, and even the crust had a flavor all its own.

Her thoughts must have been mirrored in her expression, as House's weathered face broke into a small smile that reached his eyes. "Told you so." He teased.

Maria laughed softly and took a drink of her beer. "Yes, yes, you were right." She tilted her head at House. "Did you really make this all yourself?"

House nodded, quickly averting his eyes, the smile fading. "Yeah, I did."

Maria moved so that she could catch his eyes again. "You did very well. You should be proud."

House shrugged and popped the remains of his pizza in his mouth. "It's not that big a deal."

"I disagree." Maria asserted. "Most people would not have gone to such trouble."

"Wilson would have." House spoke so quietly that Maria almost missed it.

Maria sighed heavily and set her plate aside, scooting closer to House. "Yes, James is an excellent cook as well, but…" She placed a hand on his forearm, squeezing lightly. "…I am not there, am I?"

She could feel House squirm under her touch, and she pulled away with a sigh. This evening was taking an awkward turn, and Maria didn't know what to do to smooth things out.

They finished their meal in silence, and Maria rose to take her plate to the kitchen. House pushed himself from the couch, blocking her path and holding out a hand.

"I've got it." House's face was expressionless as Maria placed her plate in his outstretched hand. He stood there for a long moment, looking everywhere but at Maria. "It's getting kind of late. I guess I should let you go."

Maria smiled slightly. "It is the weekend. I have nowhere to be. Besides, we have not had dessert yet."

House pressed his lips together, nodding firmly before turning and limping to the kitchen.

Maria followed shortly, observing as House collected the few dishes and started running water into the sink. He had started the music again, a variety of rock tunes that Maria wasn't familiar with.

She crossed the room and joined House at the sink, rinsing the dishes and placing them in the drainer as he washed them. One of the plates had a spot on it, and Maria scraped at it with a fingernail. "You missed a spot."

House rolled his eyes and held his hand out for the plate. Maria handed it off with a smile, and House scrubbed at it before handing it back. "Better?"

Maria examined it briefly, smoothing her hand over the surface. "_Si_, much better."

"Glad you approve."

Maria laughed slightly, and they fell into an easy silence as the music played. The lyrics to this one seemed vaguely familiar, even more so when House started humming along.

_I can't fight this feeling any longer…and yet I'm still afraid to let it flow…what started out as friendship has grown stronger…I only wish I had the strength to let it show…_

"I can't remember the last time I heard this song." Maria laughed a little as she rinsed the baking sheet.

"I can." House spoke quietly, a tiny smile making its way onto his face. "That party…"

Maria could feel her face heat up. "Of course you would remember that."

Suddenly Maria felt a warm, damp hand on her forearm, and she looked up to see House's bright blue eyes boring into her. The effect was as devastating now as it had been all those years ago.

Without a word, she allowed House to draw her in, wrapping his long arms around her. She closed her eyes and laid her head against his chest, letting out a tiny laugh.

"Something funny?" House rumbled.

Maria lifted her head to look him in the eye. "I cannot help but think you planned this."

"I didn't." House looked vaguely amused. "But it worked out pretty well, don't you think?"

Maria met him with a small smile of her own, and House moved to cup her face in his large, rough hand. His expression turned more serious as he studied her face.

"You want something." Maria's heart was pounding in her chest from either anticipation or nerves. She wasn't quite sure which.

House nodded. "So do you."

Maria debated internally before pressing her hand against House's chest. "I do not want this to be a…reunion."

House looked puzzled, and Maria tried to explain further. "We are not the same as we were so many years ago. Things have…changed."

House's expression seemed to darken, and he let his hand drop, slumping as he leaned against the sink with his other hand. "This was dumb. I should have just let Wilson have you."

"James is a good man, a kind man." Maria told him firmly as she closed the short distance between herself and House. "He was there for me when things were…difficult, and I deeply appreciate his friendship. But I do not feel…_that_ way about him."

House lifted his head, his vulnerable expression cutting Maria to the quick. "What about me?"

"Greg…" Maria reached up and placed a hand on his rough cheek. "I do not know what I feel for you yet."

House looked disappointed, and Maria felt the need to explain herself further. "I do not want to…" Maria was irritated at herself for her inability to get her thoughts out in some sort of coherent fashion. "It is so soon, Greg. I've barely gotten used to being without my husband, and the way you and I parted…" She shook her head in frustration.

House let out a huff, twisting his mouth and looking at the floor. "I…don't want this to be some trip down memory lane, either. I've been there and done that. It sucks."

"So what _do_ you want?"

House looked at Maria, taking her hand off his cheek and pressing it between both of his as he shifted to lean his body against the sink. "A chance to do this right, like I should have done the first time."

"We have talked about this." Maria told him firmly. "We were both wrong."

A ghost of a smirk crossed House's face. "I can't fix your wrongs. I can only fix my own."

Maria huffed irritably and smacked House in the chest. "_Puta_."

"Hey, words hurt, you know." House teased her, reaching out for her hand.

"I am sorry." Maria laughed a little as House pulled her in again. "For…everything."

House leaned over and gave Maria a brief kiss. "Yeah, me too, _chica_."

"What is this?" Maria nearly fell over from shock. "Gregory House, apologizing…admitting he is wrong? I never thought I would see the day."

House shrugged slightly, his expression going slightly serious. "You could say I'm not the man I used to be."

"It has been many years." Maria replied softly. "It would be strange if we had not changed, don't you think?"

"I guess." House glanced up at her, almost as if he was searching for something. "So, now what?"

Maria laughed girlishly. "I do not know."

"Huh." House looked thoughtful. "I guess we could try…you know, going out, doing stuff. I hear people do that when they like each other."

Maria pushed up on tiptoe to place a kiss on House's lips. "I think I would like that."

House's eyes seemed to light up, a small smile gracing his face. "It's not that late. Maybe we could find a movie or something."

"Mmm…" Maria thought this over. "Or we could watch a movie here."

"You sure?"

"I am sure."

House seemed to ponder this before nodding firmly. "Go pick something. I'll be out there in a minute."

Maria left the kitchen with a smile, listening as House finished whatever he was doing in there, humming with his music as he did so.

She found a movie and popped it into the DVD player before settling in on the couch with the remote. House soon reappeared with two more beers, handing one to Maria.

"Give me that thing." House growled as he attempted to take back the remote.

"I do know how to push buttons." Maria answered as she pulled it out of his reach.

"I'm well aware of that." House snorted and leaned over her, easily reaching the remote. He was so close, hovering over her, and Maria froze, waiting for him to make a move.

He studied her briefly before leaning down to press a firm kiss to her lips, his tongue slipping gently inside her mouth. It was sweet, tender, and intense, but in a different fashion from the fierceness that so often marked his kisses in times past.

Maria could feel herself slipping, succumbing to this man, and the battle for the remote was forgotten in the moment as she pressed both hands to the sides of his face.

They finally broke apart, and House dropped one more brief kiss on her lips, regarding her with a teasing expression. "You know…we could skip the movie."

Maria was sorely tempted. The last man she had shared herself with had been her husband, and that had been well over a year ago, before he had fallen ill. She had considered it with Wilson, but…no, he was a friend, nothing more, and she couldn't go through with anything he'd had in mind.

House was moving down her neck, leaving little kisses all the way, nuzzling her at the space between her neck and her collarbone. "Well…?"

Maria sighed softly at House's ministrations. "How can I make a rational decision when you are doing _that_ to me?"

House looked up with an expression of mock innocence. "Doing what? This?" His tongue flicked out, catching her off guard. "Or this?" House's hand slid under her shirt, rough and warm against her skin.

"_Ai…Greg…_" Maria was losing all sense of rational thought, allowing House to seduce her, just as he had so long ago.

House was moving downward, pushing up her shirt and softly kissing her stomach. "Just tell me what you want, _mi senora_."

"I want…" Maria was having a hard time putting her thoughts into words. She took House's head in her hands and lifted it slightly so that they made eye contact. "I want to go to bed…with you."

A slow smile curved over House's face before he kissed her stomach and pushed off her, gesturing down the hallway. "End of the hallway, last door on the left. I'll be right there."

Maria could feel House's eyes on her all the way down the hall. She was nearly tingling in anticipation, in a way she hadn't felt in a very long time. What had started as an awkward evening had turned around quite nicely. Maria only hoped that she knew what she and House were doing.

# # #

**You know what to do from here. Read and review.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Usual disclaimers apply and stuff. I don't own House, blah, blah, blah. :P**

# # #

House blew out a long sigh as he pushed himself off the couch to follow Maria. The evening had taken a most unexpected turn, and while House was thrilled at the way things had gone, he was full of doubts.

So much had changed over the years for him. The leg thing barely scratched the surface. There was still the matter of the Vicodin addiction, the hallucinations, the breakdown that had sent him to finally seek out help.

Suddenly House wasn't so sure he should go through with this. He wanted more than a trip down memory lane. He had already gone down that road with Stacy, and he hadn't forgotten how that ended. The last thing House wanted was for this to end the same way.

All of that was forgotten when he entered his bedroom to see Maria seated there, still dressed casually in the long sleeved t-shirt and jeans that highlighted her still lovely figure. House had already gotten a feel for what lay underneath. Now he was nearly aching with desire to find out what lay beyond that.

House carefully crawled onto the bed, gently guiding Maria to lay down while he pressed his lips to hers, sliding his tongue inside to tangle with hers.

He broke away to stare down at her, and she regarded him quizzically. "Is there something wrong?"

"No." He murmured, moving his hand under her shirt, feeling the softness underneath as he started kissing her neck. "Nothing at all."

He shifted slightly so that he was in between her legs, pushing up her shirt to expose an off-white bra. It was simple, utilitarian in nature, and it was clear that she hadn't planned on getting any action tonight.

That was fine with House. He hadn't exactly planned on this, either. Far from being a turn-off, the simple bra highlighted her figure, and House planted a kiss in her cleavage while he ran his hands over her breasts.

"Mmm…" Maria said something in Spanish as she arched toward his touch.

"_Que?_" He teased her. "You want me to stop?"

She laughed and grabbed the back of his head. "You had better not."

House let out a low chuckle and reached down to work the closure of her jeans while tracing over a nipple with his tongue through the material of her bra. Maria let out a soft moan, caressing the back of his head and squirming under him.

He could feel his own desire growing, and he furiously undid her jeans, moving down her body as he did so. Soon he pressed a series of kisses along her waistline, just above her center as he continued to caress her breasts.

Her nipples hardened under his fingers, and she arched upward under his lips, pushing down her jeans and underwear and quickly jettisoning them. House couldn't help but smile. This was the Maria he remembered, the one he had hoped was still there under the suits she so often wore to work.

It was almost as if no time had elapsed. House moved downward, spreading Maria's legs and running his hands along the inside of her thighs, and he could hear her moan out with desire. Her hand was still on his head, guiding him right where she wanted him to go.

He started slowly, teasing with his tongue in little circles over the rapidly hardening flesh, feeling her squirm under him.

He followed with little nips and licks, playing around her entrance with the tip of his finger, listening to the soft sounds of desire that fell from her lips, the changing pitch as she got closer to the edge, but never quite falling over. For that, he would make her wait just a little longer.

Bringing her to that edge over and over was making him hard as a rock, and House was getting damn close to going over himself. He left her, working his way back up his body while still playing with her with his fingers, eventually lying beside her.

"Do you want me?" He murmured in her ear.

"_Si, si_." Maria answered, her voice tinged with desire. Her lips were slightly parted, her eyes half-open, and her body was still curving into House's hand. "_Quiero que_."

House fiercely pressed his lips to hers, pushing two fingers inside her while rubbing her with his thumb. Maria moaned into his mouth, meeting him almost stroke for stroke, and she soon went over with a high pitched cry, contracting around House's fingers over and over until she finally relaxed with a soft sigh.

She regarded House with a soft expression, stroking his cheek. "You always made me feel so good, _chico_."

House chuckled and shifted so that he covered her body with his own. "And you always knew how to feed my ego."

"As if it needed it." Maria laughed and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing his rear. "You still look so good in a pair of jeans, as well." She tilted her head at him. "Do you still look so good out of them?"

House's good mood plummeted. "Not so much anymore."

Maria shrugged. "We are both older. Our bodies change." She gestured at her chest. "The _chicas_ are not nearly as lovely as they used to be."

"I disagree." House kissed her above each breast.

"Ah, you would not disagree if you saw them." Maria started working at House's belt buckle, oblivious to House's growing discomfort. "I am sure you do not look so bad."

He was about to argue the point when she pushed down his jeans, hitting the rough scar on his leg, and he hissed in pain. Maria immediately looked horrified. "Greg, I am sorry. I did not know."

"I didn't tell you." House rasped out. "Didn't seem important."

He rolled off Maria to lay on his back, irritated at his own self-consciousness. Maria immediately joined him, curving into his side and throwing an arm and a leg over him.

"I am guessing dog-style is out of the question?" She asked him in an almost teasing tone.

"Doggy-style." He corrected her. "And yeah, it kind of is."

"Hmm." Maria placed her head on House's chest and traced a finger down his breastbone. "There are many other ways, you know."

House snorted. "I was always kind of fond of that one. Liked the way that big ass of yours bounced."

"_Bastardo_." Maria smacked him again. "You must really love it now. It is even larger than it used to be."

House slid his hand to cup her rear, giving it a squeeze. "Feels just right to me."

Maria shifted to straddle House, leaning down for a long kiss before breaking away. "We will…experiment. Perhaps we can find something that is good for both of us."

"Experimentation is good." House curved a hand around the back of her neck.

Maria fixed him with a wide smile, pushing up his shirt and working her way down his body, and House could feel himself react almost immediately. By the time she got to his center and took him in her mouth, he was already close to the edge.

A rough groan escaped him, and he curled his fingers in her hair as she worked over him, her tongue and lips swelling his desire further.

"Get up here." His voice was rougher than he anticipated as he pulled Maria to him and pressed a hard kiss to her lips. "Ride me."

Maria started to straddle him, but a puzzled expression crossed her face. "I think we are forgetting something."

House rolled his eyes and pointed toward the bedside table. "Just inside the drawer."

She reached inside the drawer for the foil packet while House pulled off his t-shirt, opening it and rolling the condom over him before straddling him again, facing away from him.

House watched her with interest. "What are you doing?"

"You say you like to watch my 'big ass'." She told him over her shoulder. "If you do not want this…"

"I want." House grabbed her hips as Maria guided him inside her, meeting her stroke for stroke as he watched her bounce up and down on him.

She leaned over, giving House an even better view, and he slid his hands to squeeze her, giving her a light smack. Maria let out a soft sound, and House couldn't help smiling a little.

"You like that?" House smoothed his hand over her rear and smacked it again.

A slight giggle bubbled up out of Maria. "_Si_."

"I'm going to remember that." House rumbled as he found an easy rhythm. "You're a bad, bad girl."

Maria spread herself further, and House plunged deep inside her, pumping harder the closer he got to the edge. He exploded inside her with a final stroke, gripping her hips as he rode it out, relaxing with a groan.

She dismounted and moved to lie down beside him, her petite body curving against him as he disposed of the condom. "Did I hurt you?" She asked him.

House rumbled in amusement. "I should be asking you that."

"You did not hurt me, you silly man." Maria replied.

House was silent for a moment, wrapping his arm around her and kissing the top of her head. "You didn't hurt me either. Far from it."

"Good." Maria slid one leg over House's, sighing contentedly. "I should go."

House froze. "No reason why you should. Didn't you say you didn't have anywhere to be?"

Maria lifted her head. "Do you want me to stay?"

House debated internally. Suddenly he was transported back to his room in that shared apartment in Ann Arbor, where he and Maria had this debate on a regular basis. He hadn't wanted to ask her to stay, didn't want to appear needy or clingy, wanting to play things so cool.

"Greg?" Maria was giving him a questioning look. "Are you going to answer me?"

House took a deep breath. "If you want to stay, stay. If you don't, go."

Maria narrowed her eyes and quickly rolled away. "You have not changed so much, Gregory House. Even now, you cannot just come out and say what you want." She found her clothes and started getting dressed. "I wanted to be wrong about you. I wanted to believe you had changed. Obviously you have not."

House mentally smacked himself in the forehead, rolling over to grab Maria just before she rose from the bed. "Goddammit, wait."

She turned to face him, her expression cold and hard. House huffed and wrapped an arm around her waist, placing a kiss on her lower back. "I want you to stay."

Her expression softened into a slight smile. "See, was that so difficult?"

"More so than you know, _senora_." House murmured into her back.

"There is only one problem." Maria told him. "I was not prepared to sleep here."

House rolled back enough to look into her eyes with a small smile. "You can wear my t-shirt."

"Hmm…" Maria looked thoughtful. "Somehow I do not think it will cover as much of me as it used to."

"Fine with me." House answered with a chuckle. "You don't have to wear anything if you don't want to. I'm good with either thing."

Maria found House's t-shirt, taking a deep whiff. "Your clothes always smelled so good."

"They always smelled better after you wore them." House replied softly.

Maria tilted her head at him. "I thought you were not interested in a trip down memory lane."

House shrugged. "Nothing wrong with remembering the good times we had. Hell of a lot better than going over what went wrong."

Maria looked troubled as she changed into the old t-shirt and climbed into bed with House. "But if we do not remember our mistakes, we are doomed to repeat them."

"I don't think that's going to be a problem…for either of us." House answered quietly as Maria curled up to him.

House reached over and turned out the bedside lamp, wrapping an arm around the tiny woman by his side. He had been confident in his words, but now he wasn't so sure he could keep from screwing this up again.

His thoughts consumed him as he heard Maria's breathing even out beside him, her soft snoring the indication that she had fallen asleep.

She felt so good beside him. The fates had seen fit to give him a second chance with this woman, and damned if he was going to screw it up.

"_Buenas noches, mi corazon._" He whispered softly while stroking her head. "_Te_ _amo_."

A brief snort was Maria's only response, and House couldn't help but feel relieved that she hadn't heard his fit of sentimentality. The idea that she might not feel the same was just a little more than he felt the need to deal with right now. Frankly, he was good with harboring any possible delusion about them until at least morning.

# # #

**Do your thing, readers. Read and review. :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimers: I don't own them. If I did...well, you know, things would be a hell of a lot different. :D**

# # #

Maria awakened the next morning to someone's hot breath against her neck and an arm wrapped around her waist. She opened her eyes and glanced around the room, not recognizing her surroundings.

It was only when her bedmate snorted and nuzzled the back of her neck that it all came back to her. The night had started out awkwardly, but it certainly had not ended that way.

She could feel a pair of remarkably soft lips working their way up her neck and stopping to nip at her earlobe. "Morning." A soft baritone rumbled in her ear.

Maria smiled to herself as House's hand found its way under the old t-shirt she was wearing. It was almost like their old days, right down to the ridiculous near argument they had just before going to sleep.

"And _buenos dias_ to you as well." Maria answered, turning over to curl into House's chest.

House's arm snaked around her waist, and Maria could feel his large, warm fingers spread out over her lower back. He dropped a soft kiss on top of her head as he pulled her closer.

She could already feel his reaction as he reached up to undo the hooks of her bra. "_Ai_…what are you doing?"

"What do you think I'm doing?" He growled, stroking her nipple with a thumb.

He pressed her to her back, pushing the t-shirt up and over her head, tossing it aside. Her bra soon joined it, and House took hold of the soft flesh in his hand, bending down to roll his tongue over the nipple, sucking it lightly before letting it go.

He propped himself up on one elbow, his eyes roaming over her with an appreciative expression. "Don't know what you were so damn worried about. The _chicas_ still look pretty damn good from here."

Maria laughed lightly. "You are too kind." She reached up to run her fingers through his chest hair. It was gray now where it had once been brown, nearly matching the hair on his head, but the texture was still gloriously rough under her fingers. "I think perhaps you have improved with age. You are not so skinny as you were."

House snorted. "That's because I was a broke med student. All I lived on was ramen noodles and beer."

Maria couldn't help but giggle a little. "Such good times."

House smiled slightly in response. "They're a hell of a lot better now."

He leaned over her to kiss her, slow and sweet, his hand sliding down her stomach to find her center. His fingers gently spread the folds of skin, rubbing lightly at the nub of flesh in between.

Maria let out a soft moan, arching toward his touch as House shifted, his lips pressing a line of kisses down her stomach until his mouth was directly above her core. She quickly slipped off her underwear to allow him greater access, and House soon replaced his fingers with his mouth.

His hands smoothed back up her stomach to caress her breasts, lightly stroking the nipples with his thumbs as his tongue continued working its magic.

"_Ai_…Greg…" Maria spread herself further, stroking the top of House's head as the pleasure built up, and she suddenly went over with a loud cry, the pleasure washing over her in waves until she could take no more.

He pushed himself up until he was hovering over her, supporting himself on his powerful arms, staring down at her. Maria met his bright blue eyes with her deep browns. "Is something wrong?"

House slowly smiled and shook his head. "Nope."

He bent down over her to capture her lips with his own, sliding his tongue into her mouth with a gentleness that caught Maria off guard. Normally he was so rough and intense, if memory served her correctly, much like he had been last night. She had never witnessed this tender side of him, but she liked it just as much as the rough side.

She reached up to stroke his scruffy cheek. "Something is different about you today."

House's expression changed, and he shrugged with a casual air that seemed practiced. "I can do wham-bam-_gracias_ if you want."

Maria had to suppress the giggle that threatened to bubble up. "I am not upset. I am just…surprised. Pleasantly surprised."

House shifted so that he lay on his side, propped up on one elbow as he lightly caressed Maria's stomach, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "I'm not the same guy I was twenty-five years ago. A lot's changed."

"That is good." Maria told him. "Right?"

House twisted his mouth. "No, I can't say it's all been good." He shook his head. "It's way more than I want to get into right now. You're just going to have to trust me on that. Anyway, point is…" He leaned over her for one more brief kiss. "…I've been given a second chance with you. I don't know why, because I sure as hell don't deserve it, but…I don't want to fuck it up."

Maria felt a twinge of sadness at House's words. Even back then, he didn't seem to believe that he deserved anything good that came his way. "You deserve it. Nearly everyone deserves a second chance."

"Nearly everyone?" House looked somewhat amused.

Maria shrugged. "There are more than a few that do not. And some of them have been clients of mine."

"Damn lawyers." House snorted, his hand smoothing over her body while he pillowed his head on his arm, a soft sigh escaping him. "What do you say we just stay in bed all day?"

"That does sound lovely, _chico_, but I promised James I would meet him for lunch before the art gallery showing."

House pulled back with a hard glare. "You're still hanging out with Wilson?"

Maria huffed irritably. "He is my friend, and we made these plans long before you came along."

House let out a short growl. "You're going to tell him about us, right? Don't want him to get any ideas."

"Is there an 'us'?"

House's brow wrinkled in something like worry. "Kind of thought there was, unless you just make a habit of falling into other men's beds."

Maria cursed herself internally. The evening had ended in a mutually satisfying conclusion, and she did enjoy the way House had awakened her. That didn't necessarily mean there was more. But of course, with House's sudden talk of second chances…

Maria placed a hand on his cheek and a gentle kiss on House's lips. "I will tell him about us."

"Good." House nodded. "I don't share well with others. Must be an only child thing."

Maria laughed in response. "You must have been a difficult child."

House's expression seemed to darken. "You have no idea."

Maria was baffled, but House didn't seem to be in the mood for any more questions. Instead she pressed a kiss to his lips before rolling away to dress.

She could feel House's eyes upon her as she finished dressing and dropped the t-shirt in a nearby laundry basket. He was lying on his back, one arm draped across his stomach and the other under his head. Maria felt the urge to undress again and join him, but shook off the thought.

"Are you busy later?" He asked her.

"No." Maria answered. "You?"

"Nope." House shifted so that he was propped up on both elbows. "Maybe we could do that movie we talked about. After some dinner, of course." He tilted his head thoughtfully. "Then there's dessert. We never did get to that last night."

Maria sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned over to give House a quick kiss. "I would disagree. The dessert was most _excelente_."

A slow grin spread across House's face as he wrapped a large hand around the back of Maria's neck, pulling her back down for a longer, deeper kiss. "Maybe we could combine dessert with…dessert." He offered with a teasing expression.

"I think I would like that." Maria answered, a sudden warmth spreading through her.

House lightly stroked Maria's cheek with a thumb, his hand still wrapped around the back of her neck. "How long before you have to meet Wilson?"

"A couple of hours, perhaps." Maria replied. "And why do you ask?"

"No reason." House answered casually as he pulled Maria closer. "Just thought we could have some dessert right now."

"Hmm…do you think dessert in the morning is wise?"

House's eyes seemed to twinkle with a flash of their former youth. "I can't speak for you, but I like dessert anytime."

Maria let out a short laugh as House pulled her back down onto the bed. She rather agreed with House. Anytime was a good time for dessert.

# # #

House lay in bed after Maria left, drifting in and out of sleep. It had been a good night, followed by a good morning, and he was content to let the feeling settle over him. He was in no hurry to get out of bed just yet.

Finally the throbbing of his leg got to him enough to force him out of bed, and he searched around for his jeans, finding them and pulling the prescription bottle out of the pocket.

He absentmindedly rubbed his thigh as he waited for the meds to kick in before easing himself into boxers and jeans and slowly pushing himself off the bed with a slight groan. His body was definitely letting him know he wasn't a damn kid anymore. Not that he needed the reminder.

Maria had seemed to move a little slower herself when she left earlier, and it made House wonder if she had been telling the truth about herself and Wilson after all. He wouldn't have blamed her if she had slept with Wilson. There was a reason the man had a reputation around the hospital. Wilson was young, handsome, charming, everything House wasn't.

House huffed irritably and slowly made his way down the hallway to the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee. While he was waiting, he set his laptop on the coffee table and booted it up. Might as well check out and see what was playing. It had been so long since House had been to a movie that he didn't even know what was out.

After the coffee finished brewing, he poured himself a cup and sat down at the laptop, typing 'movie theaters in Princeton, NJ' into the search engine. Several links came up, and House clicked on the first one.

He didn't find anything interesting, and continued clicking back and forth until he clicked the last one, a link to the small art house where Wilson often saw old movies.

A thrill overtook him as he saw what was playing. 'Like Water for Chocolate', a Mexican film, a sweeping romantic epic with a touch of the supernatural. It sounded perfect, at least, House hoped so.

He opened a new tab and started searching for restaurants. Mexican seemed like overkill, so he searched for restaurants near the theater, clicking on a link for a bistro.

House's heart started pounding a little at the idea. He hadn't planned a real date since…yes, it really had been since Stacy. Even then he hadn't done much of the planning, content to go along with whatever she had in mind.

He took a long drink of coffee and picked up the phone. Soon reservations were made, and tickets were reserved at the theater. House was just about to call Maria when it dawned on him that he had never gotten her number.

That put a mild damper on things. It was going to be difficult to make plans with her if he couldn't contact her.

Suddenly an idea occurred to him, one that would serve a dual purpose. He flipped open his cell and hit number one on his speed dial.

"Wilson."

"Jimmy, my boy. How's it going?" House boomed out, hoping to throw the younger man off kilter, just a little.

"Uh, fine." Wilson answered carefully. "Kind of busy right now."

"With Maria. Right, she told me." House replied. "You know, this morning, just before she left _my _place."

He heard Wilson sigh irritably. "Kind of figured that out, thanks. What do you want?"

Wilson's response took a little of the wind out of House's sails. "Uh…I kind of need Maria's phone number. Trying to set up a hot date with her tonight."

"Do you want to talk to her yourself?" Wilson asked, his voice still edgy. "She's right here."

"Just give me her number." House was getting irritated. "I'll call her myself. You know, when you're _not_ busy with her."

"I'm not doing anything with her!" Wilson practically shouted.

"And you _won't_ do anything with her." House snapped back, even as the more rational part of him knew he was behaving foolishly.

House could hear a pair of voices and a phone being passed to another person. "Greg? What is going on?" Maria's voice was tinged with concern.

"Nothing." House huffed. "I just called Wilson to get your number and he started giving me a hard time."

He could hear Maria sigh heavily. "You and James are both being _estupido_. I will talk to you later."

House heard Maria pass the phone back to Wilson. Wilson promptly hung up, leaving empty space in House's ear, followed by a dial tone. He nearly threw his phone in frustration. Despite his best efforts, he had managed to screw things up again. Maybe he really was no different now than he was then. The thought was almost enough to make him cancel the reservations he had made.

He sighed heavily and drained his coffee cup. This whole dating thing was going to be a lot harder than he thought.

# # #

**Back to you, dear readers. Read and review. :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**My apologies for leaving this hanging. As usual, I don't own House.**

# # #

Maria returned home later that day, still deep in thought. Wilson had reacted with his usual grace and kindness when she had told him about her evening with House. Of course, she had left out the details of their after-dinner activities, but Wilson seemed happy for her all the same.

His mood had changed rapidly after the phone call from House. Maria suspected that there was a long time rivalry between the two men, despite their obvious closeness.

She shook her head and sighed in frustration. There were times when she thought she was better off being alone rather than dealing with the childish antics that went on between House and Wilson.

Her phone was ringing when she entered the house, and she quickly picked it up to answer. "_Hola_."

"Hello yourself." House's already familiar rumbling baritone came from the other end.

"Greg?" Maria couldn't hide her surprise. "How did you get this number?"

"Wilson called me back and gave it to me." House explained. "Guess you managed to talk a little sense into him."

Maria merely rolled her eyes at House's arrogance. "Of course, because certainly you had no part in this."

House was silent for a moment before answering. "I guess I didn't have to rub things in Wilson's face."

Maria sighed a little. "He is happy for you, you know."

"Yeah, I know." House huffed. "Anyway, are you busy tonight?"

"No, I suppose not." Maria answered carefully. "Why do you ask?"

House cleared his throat. "I…kind of set up this dinner and a movie thing. One of those art house theaters is showing 'Like Water for Chocolate'."

Maria smiled. "Yes, I know. Wilson and I went to see it earlier in the week."

There was a long silence. Finally House answered. "I should have known. Guess you're not really interested, then."

"I am." Maria affirmed. "It is one of my favorite movies. I would watch it a hundred times."

She could hear House blow out a short sigh. "Good. I'll pick you up at seven. Dress up a little."

House hung up before Maria could answer, and she returned the phone to its cradle with a little laugh. Some things about House had not changed. He still ended a phone call as abruptly as he started them.

Maria spent the next couple of hours tidying her house and choosing an outfit. House had said to dress up, so she pored through her closet in search of something that might work.

She ran across a simple black sheath, a little lump growing in her throat. It was the same dress she had worn to Luis's funeral.

Maria pulled it out of the closet and inspected it. With sheer stockings and her strappy black heels, it would look nothing like the dress she had worn to her husband's funeral. She couldn't think of a better way to start her new dating life.

She proceeded to take a long bath, relaxing into the vanilla-scented bubbles before getting out and getting dressed. After a quick coat of deep red nail polish, she put on her make-up with a little extra care, playing up her eyes and lips.

She gave herself a once-over in the mirror, but she couldn't help but think something was missing. Finally it occurred to her.

In the top of her jewelry box, carefully wrapped in tissue paper, there was a simple crucifix. Luis had given it to her when they were first married as a reminder of the guiding force in their life together. Maria had touched it often over the years as she wore it, finding a sense of peace and security at times when she had needed it most.

She clasped it around her neck, patting it gently. "You are not forgotten, _mi amor_. But I like Greg very much, and…it is time." Maria could feel the tears well up over her conflicting emotions. "_Te amo_."

A knock at the door snapped Maria out of her reverie, and she quickly brushed the tears from her eyes and took a deep breath before answering the door.

House was just outside, dressed in a charcoal grey suit over a deep blue shirt with the top two buttons undone. His normal scruff was trimmed into a tidy goatee, with short sideburns. Maria could barely remember a time when he had looked so handsome, and her stomach fluttered in response.

He seemed to appraise her from head to toe, letting out a low whistle. Maria could feel her face heat up under House's intense gaze.

To cover her nerves, she fixed him with a quick smile. "You are a handsome devil tonight. Please, come in."

House entered, presenting the item in his hand with an almost shy smile. "Brought you a little something."

"An orange rose?" Maria was puzzled. She knew what red and yellow meant, but the meaning of the orange rose was lost on her.

House took a deep breath. "It's…somewhere in between yellow and red. Closer to red than yellow."

"It is lovely." Maria rose on tiptoe to kiss his now smooth cheek. "I will take care of this, then we can leave."

She could feel House's eyes on her as she strode into the kitchen in search of a vase that would hold the rose. In a cabinet above the stove, she spotted a small vase. She found her stepstool and opened it up, climbing the couple of steps to bring her within reach.

"You could have hollered for me." A voice behind her nearly made her fall off the stepstool. "I would have gotten that for you."

"Not without making a rude remark about my height." Maria answered as she started to make her way down.

"Maybe." House was suddenly right behind her, his hands braced on either side of the stepstool, effectively trapping Maria. "I still would have done it."

Maria turned slightly and waved her hand, gesturing for House to back up. He backed away just enough to allow her to step down, wrapping his arms around her almost as soon as she did so and dropping a kiss on top of her head.

"You know, you look…pretty damn good." He murmured into her hair as he pulled her closer. "I'd almost rather skip the dinner and movie and go straight to dessert."

"After all the effort you put into it?" Maria chided. "That would be a shame."

House sighed and released her, lightly rubbing her shoulders. "Guess you're right. Besides, wouldn't want to lose my bet with Wilson."

Maria turned, regarding House with a sharp look. "What bet?"

House had the grace to look a little abashed. "It's more of a challenge than a bet."

Maria folded her arms over her chest. "Fine. What challenge?"

House glanced away and stared at a spot on the floor. "He seems to think I'm incapable of behaving myself on a date." He thumped his cane on the floor. "Who knows? Maybe he's right."

Maria's attitude softened a little. "Why do you feel the need to prove him wrong? Is his opinion so important to you?"

House didn't answer, and Maria let out a short sigh. "What is wrong with you two? You are like…brothers that have never grown up."

House finally looked up to meet Maria's eyes. "It's been a long time since I've dated anyone. Even when I was dating…I kind of sucked at it. Never knew how to act."

Maria held up the rose with a smile. "I think you are off to a very good start."

House's lips quirked upward in a brief smile. "Glad _you _think so."

"_Ai_." Maria shook her head as she filled the small vase and dropped in the rose. "You are always so hard on yourself." She set the vase on the counter and held out her hand. "Let us simply go out and enjoy ourselves tonight, shall we?"

House took her hand, lightly brushing his thumb across the top before bringing it to his lips for a quick kiss. "Sounds good to me."

Maria breathed a soft sigh of relief as she and House left. House might have thought the evening was getting off to a rough start, but it seemed to Maria that things were going just fine. She just hoped that the evening would continue to go in the right direction.

# # #

House cursed himself for the fit of nerves that wouldn't leave him as he and Maria drove to the bistro. He was glad Maria thought things were getting off to a good start. House wasn't entirely convinced that they were.

They were soon seated at a table, and the waiter took their drink orders before discreetly leaving them to peruse the menu.

"Everything looks so good." Maria commented. "It might take some time for me to decide."

"No rush." House told her, briefly flicking his eyes at her before returning to his own menu. "We've got a couple of hours before the movie starts."

Finally they managed to decide on their meals, and the waiter took their orders after dropping off their drinks. House trailed his fingertip around the edge of his glass in an attempt to settle his nerves. He wanted to make conversation, but wasn't sure where to start.

A soft hand over his pulled House out of his thoughts, and he looked up to see a concerned expression on Maria's face. "Is there something wrong?"

"Not really." House answered, turning over his hand to curve his fingers around Maria's hand.

Maria smiled and laughed slightly. "You _are _nervous."

House huffed. "Maybe a little."

"There is no need, _chico_." Maria squeezed House's hand. "It is not as if this is our first date."

"It feels like it." House pulled away from Maria to take a drink of his bourbon.

Their meals soon arrived, and House was relieved for the distraction. He had no sooner started on his when Maria reached across the table to offer a forkful of her own meal.

"It is _delicioso_." Maria urged. "Try some."

House leaned forward, and Maria slid the fork into his mouth. He nodded in agreement. "That is good." He threw her a mock sharp look. "I suppose this is where I share mine."

Maria laughed. "If you want."

House let out a snort as he loaded up a fork. "Just so you know, I don't generally share my food."

"Then I am truly honored." Maria told him as she leaned back across the table to accept the bite House offered. She closed her eyes as she savored it, ending with a soft sigh. "_Excelente_."

Something in House relaxed after that, and he and Maria fell into easy casual conversation for the rest of the meal. Soon they finished, and House paid the bill before they stepped out into the cool spring evening.

It was a short walk from the bistro to the theater, and House found himself impulsively reaching for Maria's hand. She glanced up at him with a brief smile, squeezing his hand as they walked up to the ticket window.

"Hi, uh…" House cleared his throat briefly. "I called for tickets earlier."

"Name?"

"House. Two tickets."

The attendant smiled broadly as she presented the tickets. "Here you are. Enjoy the film."

House nodded briefly, and the two of them entered the theater. "Do you want anything?" He asked Maria

"Not right now." Maria answered. "Dinner was quite filling."

They made their way into the darkened room and found a pair of seats on the aisle, and House stepped aside to allow Maria to go ahead of him.

Soon the movie started, and House found himself getting far more involved in the story than he thought he would. It wasn't merely a romance, but had elements of the supernatural as well. He found himself oddly relating to the main character, who was unable to be with the man she truly loved due to the multiple forces that conspired to keep them apart.

House heard sniffling next to him, and turned slightly to see tears starting down Maria's face. He shifted ever so slightly and slipped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.

She rested her head against his shoulder, and House absentmindedly stroked Maria's arm with his thumb, placing a kiss on top of her head. They watched the rest of the movie in that position, despite the fact that House's arm was almost numb by the end.

The lights came up, and Maria lifted her head while House pulled back his arm, shaking it slightly. Maria regarded him with concern. "Are you alright?"

"Fine." House answered as he pushed himself out of his seat. "Just a little stiff, that's all."

Maria caught up to House just outside the doors, gently rubbing his arm. "You did not have to keep your arm around me the entire time, you know."

House stopped and turned toward her. "I wanted to. It felt…you know, right."

A warm smile crossed Maria's face as she pushed herself up on tiptoe to kiss him. "It felt very right."

House wrapped his arms around her, leaning down to meet Maria's lips. He pressed his body against hers, slowly deepening the kiss until their tongues tangled together, oblivious to whoever was around.

Finally they separated, and House stared down at Maria, stroking her cheek with his thumb. He was suddenly overwhelmed by his feelings for this woman, feelings he could have sworn had long since died.

He leaned in again, fiercely capturing Maria's lips while holding her face in his hands. His mind flashed back to the closing scene of the movie, when flames had exploded around the couple, finally consummating their love after so many years of denial. For a moment, House thought that there was a possibility the same thing could happen to them, right out here on the sidewalk.

They broke apart again, and Maria's eyelids fluttered open, a slight smile lighting her face while House looked down at her. "What are you thinking, _chico_?"

House's heart was beating wildly as he debated sharing exactly what was on his mind. He wasn't sure he could handle the rejection if Maria didn't feel the same as he did.

Finally his emotional side beat out his logical side, and he took a deep breath. "I think I'm falling for you all over again." He blurted out, steeling himself for her reaction.

Maria's smile widened, and she pulled herself closer. "I think I am, as well." She tilted her head. "It is all happening so fast, but…"

"I know." House quickly answered. "If you need me to slow it down…"

Maria touched House's lip with one finger. "I did not say that. And you did not allow me to finish." She pulled back slightly. "It is happening so fast, but…it feels…right."

Relief washed over House as he bent down for one more brief kiss. "In that case…can I take you home?"

"Of course."

It was a quiet drive back to Maria's, and House was nearly buzzing with excitement. Everything had gone almost as expected. Better, if that was possible.

As soon as Maria opened her door and let them in, House wrapped his arms around her waist, bending down to press kisses on the back of her neck.

"_Uno momento_." Maria laughed. "At least allow me to close the door."

House glanced behind him and gingerly balanced on one leg, pushing the door closed with the other. "Done. Now then…"

He returned to kiss the back of Maria's neck, sliding down the zipper on her dress as he did so. "You're so beautiful, Maria." He murmured as he slipped the dress off her shoulders.

Maria allowed the dress to slip off her arms and land on the floor, leaving her clad only in a bra, pantyhose, and her heels. House quickly unfastened the bra, sliding his hands around to the front to take her breasts in his hands, caressing them lightly before stroking her nipples.

"_Ai_, Greg…" Maria moaned and arched her back, leaning into House's hands.

"Yes…?" House murmured, smoothing his hands down her stomach, slipping into her pantyhose. He found her moist center, spreading the flesh apart with his fingers to stroke lightly. "Something you want?"

Maria's only answer was a sigh and another moan as she leaned against House. Her reactions served to heighten his own desire and he pressed his growing erection against her.

"I'll tell you what I want." House growled as he guided them both to her couch.

"And what would that be?" Maria gasped out.

"I want you." House told her as he pushed her against the arm of the couch. "Right here, right now."

He pushed down her pantyhose as he leaned over her, taking each of her nipples in his mouth and rolling his tongue over them while Maria started undoing his belt and pants.

House's pants hit the floor, and Maria pushed House off of her long enough to take off her shoes before pushing off his jacket. She started unbuttoning his shirt, and the shirt soon joined the jacket on the floor. House peeled off Maria's pantyhose while Maria slid House's boxers off him.

House stared down at Maria, taking in the soft curves of her body before leaning over her for a long kiss. He worked his way down her neck, spanning her waist with his hands as he pushed her over the arm of the couch.

She spread herself before him, and House was almost aching with desire. Before he knew it, Maria took hold of him and guided him toward her opening, and House plunged deep inside her.

Maria let out a sharp cry and wrapped her legs around him while House pumped into her, both of them uttering words and sounds until he unloaded into her with a groan, collapsing against her.

"_Te amo, mi chica…mi corazon…_" House whispered into her ear as he reached between them to stroke the still hard flesh at her center.

Maria cried out softly and arched toward House's touch as she went over the edge, her legs still wrapped around House. Finally she relaxed, opening her eyes and reaching up to touch House's face. "Did you say what I think you said?"

"I did." House nodded, leaning down for a quick kiss.

"Ah, _mi chico_." Maria sighed. "Can you imagine what would have happened if you had said that all those years ago?"

House's mood darkened slightly. "I don't want to think about that. Not much point, anyway."

Maria shifted so that she was mostly standing, still leaning against the arm of the couch. "You are right. Only now matters."

"What about you?" House asked, even though he was scared of the answer. "I mean…what do you feel for me?"

Maria stroked House's rough cheeks. "I feel…something for you. Perhaps it is something like love." She kissed him briefly. "I know that I want to see how things develop."

House was slightly disappointed. While it wasn't quite the answer he had hoped for, at least it wasn't an outright rejection. "That's…something, I guess."

"Greg." Maria told him firmly. "It is so soon. It has not even been a year since my husband passed away. I was not prepared for this."

"I know, I know…" House huffed irritably, pushing himself off Maria and gathering up his clothes. "I'll just…you know, head on."

"You'll do no such thing." Maria told him sharply, catching House before he could get too far. "I do not want you to go."

"Really?" House was suddenly unsure.

"Really." Maria answered with a smile, offering him a hand. "Come back to bed with me."

House's mood lightened considerably as he took her hand, drawing closer to her. "If you insist…"

"I do."

House followed her down the hall to her bedroom, sliding into bed beside her and making love to her again, much gentler this time. Eventually they curled up with each other, and House listened as Maria fell asleep against him with a soft sigh.

It was almost too perfect, and House was equal parts excited and apprehensive. He could have a real future with this woman, or it could all blow up in his face. Either way, he knew it would never be boring between them. That alone seemed like a good enough reason to hang around and see what developed between them. House only hoped it would be worth it.

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**Back to you, dear readers. Read and review.**


	13. Epilogue

**Yep, we've come to the end of another tale. :) Thanks for reading, and thank you for all your lovely comments. You know the deal...I don't own 'em.**

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Wilson and House were hanging out on the second floor balcony overlooking the lobby, observing as the maintenance workers took down the Thanksgiving decorations and started to put up the Christmas decorations.

"Ridiculous holiday, Christmas." House observed. "No other holiday inspires so much lunacy."

Wilson chuckled. "Still don't know what to get Maria, do you?"

"Not a goddamn clue." House huffed. "The woman has almost everything."

"So get her something she wouldn't expect." Wilson suggested.

House rolled his eyes. "Maybe I should send you in as my mole."

"You know I'd be perfectly willing to do that." Wilson told him. "Nothing would bring me more joy that to make both my best friends happy for the holidays."

"Oh, shut up." House glared at him.

Wilson shrugged. "It's true." He glanced over at House. "You two are amazing together. I never would have thought…"

"Yeah, thanks for your support." House spotted a familiar figure down in the lobby, and his heart started pounding in his chest. He had told no one about his plan, and he hoped like hell that it would go the way he wanted.

"Maria Velasquez Martinez!" House called out over the railing.

"House, what the hell are you doing?" Wilson whispered to him.

House ignored Wilson, watching as everyone in the lobby stopped to look up at him, including the woman in question. He was nervous, but kept going.

Maria folded her arms over her chest and looked up at him. "Is there something you want, Doctor House?"

"Yes. Here, catch." House pulled a small jewelry box out of his jacket pocket and aimed carefully, tossing it over the railing to where Maria stood.

Maria quickly moved to catch the object, but missed. One of the maintenance workers picked it up and handed it to her, obviously making some comment. Maria nudged him and looked over the object, a puzzled expression on her face.

House drummed his fingers on the railing before continuing. "When you left me all those years ago, you took a piece of my heart with you." He took a deep breath, glancing over at Wilson. Wilson gave him an encouraging nod. "Open the thing, _chica_."

Maria opened the box, pulling out a necklace with a stylized heart design, highlighted by two rubies and a diamond. "What is this?"

"This is me…giving you the rest of my heart." House's thoughts were churning as he waited for Maria's response. The whole thing had sounded a lot better when he was mentally rehearsing it earlier.

Maria's face burst into a wide smile as she fumbled with the necklace. "Doctor House, will you help me with this thing?"

"I'll be right down." House called back. "Don't go anywhere."

Wilson caught him just before he stepped onto the elevator. "Well played, sir. You've made me proud."

"Yeah, thanks." House answered quickly, nodding briefly. "If you don't mind…"

"No, no, not at all." Wilson let House go, and he stepped onto the elevator, tapping his cane on the floor all the way down.

The doors finally opened, and House strode across the lobby to meet Maria. Maria met him almost halfway, wrapping his arms around his waist and pushing herself up on tiptoe to press her lips to his.

"_Gracias_." Her face was lit in a wide smile that she couldn't seem to wipe off her face. "This is a perfect surprise."

"I didn't embarrass you?" House asked her.

"Not at all, _chico_." Maria handed House the necklace, turning so that House could put it around her neck.

House's hands were shaking from adrenaline, and he was having a hard time getting the necklace around Maria's neck. Finally it was fastened, and House pressed a kiss to the back of her neck. "Let me see."

Maria turned around, and House admired the way the jewels shone against her skin. She glanced down at the necklace with a slight frown. "Perhaps I should take off the crucifix."

"Leave it." House told her.

"You think that I should?" Maria gave House a questioning look.

House shrugged. "One for the old love, one for the new…whatever."

"Love." Maria told him. "The new love. And I do love you, _mi tesoro_."

"_Tesoro_?" House was puzzled. "That's a new one."

"It means 'my treasure'." Maria answered, drawing closer to him.

House tilted his head thoughtfully. "Huh. Never thought of myself as a treasure."

"Perhaps you should." Maria looked up at him.

House warmed inside. "_Te amo, mi corazon…mi amor…mi vida._" He murmured as he leaned down, capturing Maria's lips with his own and deepening the kiss.

He didn't give a damn who was watching. Matter of fact, he hoped the whole damn hospital was watching. House was staking his claim right here, right now.

Maria pulled away with a smile, stroking House's cheek. "So…shall we go meet James? I am looking forward to meeting his new girlfriend."

"I suppose." House rolled his eyes as he pulled away, falling into step with Maria as they left the hospital, his hand on the back of her shoulders. "The sooner we meet them, the sooner I can get you home."

"And then what…?" Maria gave him a teasing look.

"And then…I can see what that necklace looks like without all those…clothes in the way."

"_Ai_." Maria huffed and nudged him in the ribs. "You are…"

"A treasure." House told her. "You already told me, remember?"

Maria sighed, then shook her head with a laugh. She stopped just outside, watching as the snowflakes fell. "Look, it's the first snow of the year. Isn't it beautiful?"

"It is." House agreed. He squeezed Maria's hand. "Almost as beautiful as you."

"You are such a flatterer." Maria squeezed back.

"It does seem to get me almost everywhere." House answered.

They proceeded to meet for dinner with Wilson and his new girlfriend, and House was surprised at what a good time he had with them. The new girlfriend seemed to be the opposite of almost every woman Wilson had ever dated. Oddly enough, she seemed to have a similar personality to Maria.

House decided not to analyze that too deeply. It didn't seem worth it anyway.

Much later, House and Maria were curled up in House's bed after a passionate romp. As House curled his arm around her, he reflected on his good luck. Never in a million years would he have imagined that his past would come back to haunt him in such an amazing way.

His past had a good possibility of becoming his future. While House was in no rush to step things up, he was warmed by the thought. He held Maria tighter and kissed the top of her head. The future was looking damn good, House decided. Damn good indeed.

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